Era: A Godless World
by EndlessEra
Summary: Auror James Potter has a serial killer loose in hands, while his brother Albus is fighting a revolution in South America. Lily Potter is having strange and horrifying dreams. Emily Winterbourne is stuck between her ambitious brother and her love for Albus. In all this, Harry Potter is silently raising a war against the Heavens, while his wife Daphne Greengrass has plans of her own.
1. Chapter 1

**ERA**

 **BOOK I**

 ** _A Godless World_**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. J.K. Rowling is a god to have given us that world**.

Chapter 1:

Michael Paine pulled down a part of the blinder and peeked outside. He hoped that his pursuers had lost him, and that they could not trace him to such a shabby hotel. There was no one outside, allowing him to take a breath of relief.

'Who were those men Michael?' his wife Gloria, asked for he hundredth time. She had asked him that question several times, while they were making their escape, but he was too occupied at that time to answer her. But he would have to answer her now. He turned around and faced his pregnant wife, who was sitting on the small bed with frustration etched across her face. 'If you don't answer me now, I am going to leave, and you are never going to see the face of me or our child.'

Michael inhaled deeply. He did not know where to begin explaining; Gloria would certainly think that he had gone mad if he told her about magic, wizards, and an underground organisation controlling most of the UK. It would sound good if he was making a documentary about conspiracy theories or some sci-fi movie, but it would be a foolish explanation when they were running for their lives.

'Michael!' Gloria barked.

Michael wished he did not have to do this, he had always wanted to keep his work away from the family, but it seemed impossible now. Michael sat down on a worn out couch; it was time to tell his wife the truth.

'They want to kill me because of my work,' Michael said in a low voice.

'Did you do something to their bank accounts?' Gloria asked.

'No,' Michael replied. 'It does not have to do with my normal work.'

'What do you mean normal work?' Gloria was taken aback by his revelation.

'I have not been completely truthful with you,' Michael said bitterly. He inwardly cursed himself for doing this to her now, but he could not provide her with a better explanation than the truth.

'What are you saying?' said Gloria, her eyes already brimming with tears.

'I am not an accountant in a bank,' Michaels said, ignoring the shocked expression of his wife. 'I work for a very powerful organisation.'

'Michael!' Gloria cried out.

'Please, let me explain,' Michael pleaded with his wife. Gloria refrained from saying anything, giving him a chance, but she continued to look at him incredulously. 'As I mentioned I work for a powerful organisation which has spies in various places. I was one of the spies.' Gloria's eyes grew wide as saucers. Michael was not surprised by her reaction, in fact he was thankful she had not gone full crazy. 'But something happened that blew my cover. And now I am being chased by the enemy.'

'What did you do Michael?' Gloria asked finally finding her voice.

'Nothing which would grab anyone's attention,' replied Michael. It was true, he had done nothing out of the ordinary which would jeopardize his situation. The only other option was if someone had given information to the enemy.

'Don't lie to me Michael. I'm sure you did something stupid,' Gloria said angrily. 'Otherwise, why would people come after you?'

'I just did what I had done for the past three years. And I didn't even have to do anything important I just had to observe…' Suddenly everything fell into place for Michael, he knew exactly what they were searching for. He quickly grabbed a pen and a paper and began writing a letter.

'What are you doing Michael?' Gloria asked, confused by his sudden actions.

'I was the one being fooled all along,' Michael said to no one in particular. 'I was not spying at him, he was spying at me.'

'Who was spying on you?'

'Harry Potter.'

'Harry who?' Gloria asked bewildered.

'It is better you don't know that monster,' Michael said bitterly while folding the letter.

'Who are you sending the message?' Gloria asked.

'To my superior. His life is in danger,' Michael replied.

'Who is your superior?'

'Travis Bent from….how did you know I was writing a letter?' Michael looked at Gloria suspiciously.

'I just thought you were going to ask someone to help us in this situation,' Gloria replied defensively.

'Right.' Michael was not convinced. In all the drama, Michael had forgotten the most important rule; don't trust anybody. He continued to eye Gloria, there was a possibility she was not his Gloria. If the knowledge of existence of magic had taught him one thing; it was not to trust anything that was in front of him, magic always had some surprise stored there.

'Why are you staring at me like that?' Gloria said looking a little scared.

'Tell me Gloria, what was my first car's name?' Michael asked in a low voice.

'Why are you asking me that?' Gloria looked confusedly at him.

'Answer me Gloria,' Michael let out a low growl.

'This is no time for games Michael!' shouted Gloria. 'We are in the middle of crisis.'

'Answer me!' screamed Michael.

'How am I supposed to remember that?' Gloria countered with equal aggressiveness.

Michael quickly retrieved his gun from his back and pointed it at Gloria or a polyjuiced version of her. 'Answer me or I will shoot.'

'Have you gone insane?' Gloria screamed, the fear evident in her voice.

'Just answer the fucking question,' Michael shouted, hardening his grip on the gun.

'You are scaring me Michael.' Gloria slowly began to retreat towards the wall.

'Your act is up. Tell me who you are,' Michael said, his gun firmly pointed at her. He was convinced, that the woman in front of him was not his wife, but somebody posing as her.

'I am your wife for god sake!' cried fake Gloria with tears streaming down her face.

'You can't fool me,' Michael roared, inching closer to the terrified form of the doppelgänger. 'I know you are under polyjuice. You wizards think you are so smart.'

'Someone help me!' fake Gloria screamed at the top of her lungs. Michael in an attempt to lower her screams, quickly grabbed her by her throat, and started to put considerable amount of pressure. The doppelgänger tried to push away his hands, but he was stronger than her.

'Shut up or I will put a bullet on your head,' Michael hissed dangerously. 'I know you people are helpless without your wand.'

'Michael. Please,' came a stiffed voice from the choking fake Gloria.

'Where is my wife?' Michael continued to tighten his grip. He could see the nerves in fake Gloria's head begin to become prominent, and her face began to turn purple.

'Karina' Gloria managed to say while struggling for air. On hearing the name Michael immediately released his grip on her throat, and Gloria fell down on the floor gasping for air. Gloria had said name of Michael's first car, meaning she was the real Gloria. Michael quickly knelt down in front of Gloria and started rubbing the back of his coughing wife. He wished she had told it before things had escalated.

'I'm sorry Gloria,' Michael apologised. 'I thought you were someone else.'

Michael cursed himself for his actions, but he his actions were not reasonless. But how could his wife understand those reasons.

'I'm sorry,' Michael repeated holding her arm, only for Gloria to push him away.

'Don't touch me,' Gloria said rubbing her throat.

'It was a mistake Gloria,' Michael tried to reason with his estranged wife. 'If only you give me a chance to explain.'

Michael had never wanted for Gloria to be involved in this world. He just wanted a simple and normal life with her. He was even contemplating about leaving the Organisation after their child was born. But everything had come crashing down.

'Fuck you, Michael,' Gloria glared at him, as she tried to stand up. Michael reached out to help, but she immediately pulled away from him. 'You tried to kill me.'

'Just calm down. And I will explain everything to you,' Michael said.

'You just tried to fucking kill me!' Gloria cried staggering back to her feet.

'I said I can explain,' Michael repeated.

'I don't need your explanations! I am leaving!' Gloria cried and tried to move past him. Michael noticed her actions and quickly grabbed her arm.

'Please let me…'

'How?' Gloria stammered with a shocked look suddenly appearing on her face. Michael saw that Gloria's reddened eyes had grown extremely wide, as she looked unblinkingly at something behind him. Michael immediately understood the reason for his wife's shocked expression; they had found him. Michael slowly turned around to face his harbinger. A tall, thin man stood behind him, he was wearing a black suit, and his long silvery blonde hair perfectly fitted his grey ominous looking eyes.

'Franklin,' Michael said, his voice nearly a whisper.

'Hello, Mr Paine,' Franklin said with a bow. 'Thank you for the entertainment you have provided me until now. But it seems I am running out of time.'

'How did you find me?'

'Invisibility, is a great form of disguise Mr Paine,' Franklin replied in a cool voice.

'Who is he Michael? How did he appear out of thin air?' Gloria asked, her voice shaking with fear.

'Magic, Mrs Paine,' Franklin answered with a menacing smile.

'I know why you are here. But I want you to leave my wife,' Michael said shielding Gloria. He knew there was no escaping, otherwise James "The Reaper" Franklin would not have shown up in front of him.

'And why would I extend you that courtesy?'

'I will not try to fight back if you leave my wife alone. We can both leave this room and then you can carry out your job.'

'Do you actually think you stand a chance against me?' Franklin said mockingly.

'I never said I stood a chance. But I can always make it a bit difficult for you,' Michael said bravely.

Franklin seemed to think for a moment then he replied, 'Very well, Mr Paine. I always appreciate valour. Let's go outside and finish this.'

Michael put the gun on the ground and began to walk towards Franklin. He was ready to meet his fate, he knew it would be coming considering his line of work, but at least his wife was going to be safe.

'Stop!' cried Gloria. She was pointing the gun at Franklin. 'I will not let you do anything to my husband.'

'Gloria put down the gun!' Michael ordered. Gloria didn't know what Franklin was; Michael himself was not sure what Franklin was exactly. All he knew was that Franklin was not human, he was something which just looked like a human.

'I will not let you go with him Michael,' Gloria said with determination.

'A weapon does not suit a lady like you Mrs Paine,' Franklin said calmly.

'I swear I'll shoot you if you don't leave now,' Gloria threatened, but her hands were shaking.

'Gloria put-,' Michael could not complete what he was saying as the sound of the gun going off filled the room. Michael looked at the shocked and scared face of his wife, and then turned to Franklin who was hit on the chest with the bullet.

'You made a hole in my suit Mrs Paine,' said Franklin inserting his forefinger inside the hole which the bullet had made. Gloria remained speechless as the man she had shot through the chest stood in front of her, unharmed.

Michael silently applauded his wife's valiant efforts, it could have worked if it had it been anyone else. Now, Franklin was not going to spare her either. He had to save her, if that was the last thing he could do.

'Please, she does not know anything,' Michael begged.

'I agree. But she did try to kill me.' Franklin moved towards Gloria and lightly pushed her with his finger, suddenly her body was violently thrown and she crashed to the wall. The force of the crash caused her to lose her consciousness, and her body fell down on the floor.

'You bastard!' screamed Michael as he lunged at Franklin. But Franklin was too quick for him as he easily side-stepped Michael, and with a gentle push sent Michael flying across the room until he collided with the wall.

Michael's entire body was burning with pain, as he struggled to stand up. Franklin slowly walked towards him and stood over his struggling form. Franklin then lowered his right hand and lightly pressed on Michael's back. A shattering pain coursed through his back, making him scream in agony.

'Thank goodness for silencing wards. Otherwise you could have disturbed everyone here,' Franklin said shaking his head. 'But your wife won't be screaming I think.'

'Please,' Michael begged in a shaky voice. He had lost the feeling in his lower half of the body making it unable for him to stand up.

'I was not considering doing this in front of you, Mr Paine. But I have changed my mind. Consider it a goodbye gift from me,' Franklin said and started to undress himself. Michael knew exactly what Franklin was about to do, but he was helpless; in the end he could not even save his wife. Franklin carefully folded his clothes and stacked them neatly on the side of the bed.

'You see every time I hunt, my clothes usually end up torn and blood-stained. So, these days I do things naked. I hope you don't mind me eating your wife in the nude,' Franklin said looking at Michael, as if he was asking permission.

'Please, don't,' Michael cried, tears falling from his eyes.

Franklin ignored his pleas and moved towards Gloria's unconscious body and knelt beside it. Michael with all his strength tried to crawl towards Gloria, but each effort was taking incredible feats of strength, and the numbness was spreading throughout his body.

'Oh! Your wife is pregnant,' Franklin said excitedly. 'I have never eaten a human foetus before.' He then turned to Michael and smiled. 'Don't worry Mr Paine I will savour each part of your unborn child. And don't regret him not being born. After all it is better to die than to live in this godless world.'

Michael wanted to scream out, but his voice died in his throat. He cursed magic for ever being created, he cursed wizards for using it for their own selfish purpose, but he cursed himself the most. If he had never involved himself with their kind, he would be living a normal life; Gloria would be alive. He wanted to cry, he wanted to shout, he wanted to choke the life out of Franklin; but he could do nothing. Franklin suddenly morphed into a monstrous looking entity. His skin was dark as the night and two horns appeared on his forehead. His body had grown nearly three times his normal size, and his hands and feet supported malicious looking claws. He also had a tail, but it seemed that some portion of it had been cut off. Michael's vision began to darken as the monster Franklin tore into Gloria's body. Indeed, it was a godless world, thought Michael as he fell into the world of darkness.

 **A/N: I write stories for my own pleasure...and hopefully yours. The only way I can know if you enjoyed my work is through your feedback.**

 **P.S. English is not my first language, so please free to correct my errors.**

 **P.S.S And this is my first story in this site so please no flames**.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. J.K. Rowling is a god to have given us that world.**

Chapter 2

Lily Luna Potter set her quill down as she looked at the parchment in front of her, which had been covered with her neat handwriting. She re-read the answer she had just written, and then gave a short nod of approval to herself, her answer was better than she had expected.

Earlier, if someone had told her that NEWETS were going to be such a breeze, she would have called them mental, or get angry at them for insulting her hard work. But after giving six papers her mind-set had altered a bit, she was not saying that NEWETS were easy; it was not as hard as she had assumed it would be.

'Okay! Time's up! Quills down,' announced Penelope Hastings in a loud and clear voice, instantly stopping the sound of quills scratching the surface of the parchment. But it was quickly replaced by a few sighs of relief. Then Hasting waved her wand summoning the answer scripts to her. Lily's answer script began to float from her desk, along with rest of her hallmates, and gently settled down into a neat stack on the table near Penelope Hastings. After all the answer scripts were assembled on her table Penelope Hastings said, 'You are free to leave.'

The hall was suddenly filled with the sound of students standing up from their seats and walking out of the hall. Lily, like everyone, followed the same pattern and walked out of the hall.

'Red, wait!' cried out a voice just as Lily had exited the hall.

Lily scowled at the nickname, she hated it when people called her red, it was like a discriminating word against redheads. And more importantly, she absolutely loathed the tone in which she had just been called, it was irritating and vexing, and there was only one person who was capable of achieving such a feat; her best friend Sarah Logan. Lily turned her head around and saw Sarah rushing towards her.

'How many times do I have to tell you not to call me that name,' Lily said hotly, as soon as Sarah caught up with her.

'What name?' Sarah asked acting confused.

'You can save your act for someone else Logan. It's not going to work on me,' Lily countered, her tone signalling her rising temper.

'Is the head girl going to give me detention?' Sarah said in a teasing tone. Lily didn't rely, she just huffed and began walking in angry strides. Sarah began to snigger seeing Lily's childish actions. 'All these years and you still don't get humour,' Sarah said quickly catching up with Lily.

'It is not humour when everything is aimed at me,' Lily shot back.

'Ok let's talk about something you would enjoy,' Sarah said in an unenthusiastic voice. 'How was your exam?'

'It went better than I thought,' Lily replied ignoring the tone of her friend's voice.

'Of course it will go well, you have been holed up the entire year doing nothing but studying. I swear I have seen more of Professor Rivers than I have seen you, and I'm not even in his class.'

'You know that I require a good score to get an apprenticeship under the Magical Archaeological Survey of Western Europe,' Lily said.

'Isn't your step-mother the Director of Magical Research,' Sarah pointed out.

'I don't want to play the family game. I want to achieve something on my own,' Lily retorted, a scowl materializing on her beautiful face. 'It's hard enough being Harry Potter's daughter.'

All their lives she and her brothers had been compared with their great father. Harry Potter, the hero; Harry Potter, The Man-Who-Conquered. She acknowledged the things her father had done for the magical world, but she hated the man that he had become. Once upon a time she adored her father, but he had changed, and it was not for the better. Yes, he had brought changes, and it was for the betterment of the society, but for all that he had forsaken them, he had forsaken his family. Yes, she felt sorry for him, when her real mother had left him for another man, but it did not give him the excuse to become what he was. She did not know why people expected the children of Harry Potter to be like him, maybe it was because they did not know the true Harry Potter, Harry Potter was a monster and she was happy none of her brothers had turned out like him. If a better world meant the creation of men like Harry Potter, then she did not want a better world.

'Where are we going?' asked a confused Sarah as the climbed up the stairs.

'To the Owlery.'

'Why?'

'I need to send a letter to Sev. I have not written to him since the beginning of my exams,' Lily answered increasing the pace of her ascension.

'Is he still in South America?' Sarah inquired matching her pace.

'In his last letter he mentioned that he was in Venezuela,' Lily answered with a nod.

Albus Severus Potter had not come home for the past two years, and no one knew the exact reason. Everyone thought that it was because of their father's marriage to Daphne Greengrass, but Lily knew it was not the case. Daphne was in fact an excellent step-mother and had been more of a parent, the last five years, than their own father. Even though she was not born from her, Lily wished she had. Daphne was the type of woman Lily wanted to be when she grew up. She was her mother through her deeds, unlike her real mother who had left them with their uncaring father. Her father, she knew he was responsible for Sev not coming home.

There was a vast difference in thinking between her brother and her father, and it had only grown wider after Sev had graduated from Hogwarts. They were always getting into heated discussions, and it always ended with Sev storming off. Sev was unlike Jamie, who agreed with whatever father said. She felt that Jamie was always trying to please father, and in doing that he overlooked his many flaws.

Lily had been heart-broken when Albus had left, as he was the closest person in her life. She had made him promise to write to her every week, even if there was nothing to write about, and he had kept that promise. The letters had strengthened their bond even more, and she could feel his presence even if he was not there with her. Albus did not keep much contact with anyone else, which made Lily a vessel for many of their queries about him: What is he doing in South America? Is he living as a muggle? Has he gotten married? When will he return? She tried to answer them the best she could, and told them everything was fine. But she wanted him to come back, more than anyone else. She had felt something lacking ever since his departure, it was like something within her craved for him.

'Miss Potter.'

Lily was jerked awake from her thoughts as her eyes found the person who had called her, it was their Deputy Headmaster, Professor Longbotton.

'Good afternoon, Professor,' Lily squeaked in a mixture of surprise and embarrassment.

'Good afternoon, Professor Longbottom,' Sarah greeted.

'Good afternoon, ladies,' Professor Longbottom returned, giving a curt nod to both of them. He then turned his eyes towards Lily and said, 'The Headmistress has requested to see you in her office.'

Lily noticed that the usually warm tone in the Professors' voice was missing, making her suspect if something had gone wrong. 'Can I come after sending a letter?' Lily asked.

'It is something urgent, it is better you go see her immediately,' replied Professor Longbottom in a grave voice.

Lily began to worry about the way the Professor was acting so she asked him, 'Is everything alright Professor?'

'It is better you go to the Headmistress' office, she will explain everything,' answered Professor Longbottom. 'I will accompany you.'

Professor Longbottom's actions were confusing her very much, he was not specifying anything which made her even more anxious. Lily was about to ask the professor what was such an urgent issue, but before she could ask her question, Sarah spoke: 'Okay, Red I will see you later. Have a good day Professor.'

'You too, Miss Logan,' Neville returned.

Lily turned towards her friend, but she had already vanished out of sight. Lily half thought that her friend had disappeared under an invisibility cloak. Lily wondered if there was a secret passageway there. Lily then turned her attention back to Neville who was looking at her very sympathetically at her.

'Are you all right Professor?' Lily asked a bit confused.

'I'm okay,' Neville said and quickly began to move.

Lily felt awkward, she had never seen Professor Longbottom act the way he was acting, both as a teacher, and as the husband of her godmother. She was accustomed to see Aunt Luna act all weird, but Uncle Neville was always the sane one to her.

'Why does the Headmistress want to see me Professor?' Lily asked, following Neville a few steps behind.

'Your-,' Neville paused for a moment, as if to he was trying to find the right words. 'I think I'm not the right person to answer that question.'

Lily hated it when people did not tell her everything; she was not a child. She did not need to be sheltered from the realities of life, she was strong enough to face everything.

'You can go ahead and tell me Professor,' Lily said confidently. 'Whatever is the matter I assure you I can handle it.' Neville simply ignored her words and did not reply.

Neville's silence began to frustrate Lily, but she was able to control herself. She concluded that there was probably a good reason Neville was not telling her anything, if he could he would have told her instantly that was the type of person Neville was, noble; unlike her father. So, Lily refrained from questioning him further about the matter, and silently followed him.

They finally arrived before the large gargoyle that led to the Headmistress' Office.

'Naktasha,' spoke Neville.

The gargoyle began to descend downwards giving way to a staircase which led to the Headmistress' Office. After the staircase had completed its descent Neville began to climb it; Lily dutifully followed him.

They finally reached outside the door of the Headmistress' Office; Neville was about to knock on the door then he hesitated for a moment. He then turned his eyes towards Lily who was staring back at him, a bit surprised by his action.

'Listen Lily,' Neville said in a sympathetic voice. 'I want you to know that Aunt Luna and I are always there for you. So, never hesitate to ask us for anything, okay.'

Lily was taken aback by his words, they surprised and scared her at the same time.

'What are you trying to say Uncle Neville?'

Lily had never called Neville 'uncle' during her entire stay at Hogwarts, she felt that Neville was Professor Longbottom in school, and Uncle Neville at home. She had learned to keep that distinction from an early age, but the words spoken by Neville briefly caused her to forget that distinction.

Neville ignored her question once again and knocked at the door.

'Come in,' called a female voice from the other side of the door. Neville twisted the doorknob opening the door, before Lily could question him further.

In the past Lily would always marvel at the Headmistress' Office. She would be entranced by it, the various portraits of the previous Headmasters and Headmistresses of Hogwarts. She would longingly looks at the vast array of books, secretly wishing to stay inside the office, and take in the immense knowledge bound inside the little room.

But today she could do those things, as her eyes directly fell on the person sitting in front of Headmistress Vector. He had the same dark red coloured hair as hers, and was wearing the round shaped glasses like her father.

'Jamie!' Lily shrieked in surprise. 'What are you doing here?'

James looked like he had not slept for days, and the expression on his face only scared Lily even more. James ran his hands over his hair, a reaction to his nervousness, something which Lily was very familiar with.

'Jamie, what's wrong?' Lily asked, her voice quivering with an unknown fear.

'Why don't you sit down Miss Potter,' offered Vector, motioning her to the chair adjacent to where James was sitting.

'What's wrong, James?' repeated Lily not listening to what Vector was telling her.

'Mom-,' James said is a stifled voice.

Mom, Lily thought. Jamie only called their real mother that.

'What's wrong with mom?' Lily was unable to keep her voice from sounding frightened. She despised Ginevra Weasley for what she had done, but a part of her still loved her. James remained quiet which only increased her anxiety. 'Speak, Jamie!'

James stood up from his chair and suddenly pulled Lily into a hug. 'Lil's mom is dead.'

It took a moment for James' words to register in Lily's mind. And when she finally understood the meaning, she felt the floor being pulled away from beneath her feet. Yes, she despised Ginevre Giles nee Weasley. It was true Lily ignored her every time they met, but she was still her mother. She never wanted her dead.

Her entire body was numb, and her brain was no longer functioning. Only a faint whisper escaped her lips: 'How?'

'She was…. murdered.'

#

Harry Potter with a furrowed brow looked at the scroll in front of him. He had not been able to understand the script used in the scroll, it was unlike anything he had ever seen. He had tried to compare it with other scripts but the symbols did not match with any other language known in the magical world. Was it really the language of the gods? Were the Heavens really the law of the gods? Harry inwardly laughed at himself for thinking that way. It made him sound like he believed in the Heavens. Maybe he should give the scroll to Daphne, thought Harry. She had what one would call a gift, when it came to decrypting ancient languages. And she knew what he was doing, so she would not hesitate to help him.

A soft sound caused Harry to look up from the scroll. The room was dark and the only light was the candle burning on his table. He could not see properly but a slight movement of the shadows made him realise that someone was inside the room.

'Ivo is that you?'

'As always you are quick as a cat,' said a black cloaked man stepping inside the light.

Ivo was a middle-aged man with dark hair, similar to Harry's. He had deep blue eyes which always looked calculating; it was as if he never stopped planning. And most importantly he was Harry's weapon against the Heavens; a man standing alongside him in his fight against the self-proclaimed gods.

'I hope you have brought me good news this time?' Harry said staring at the man.

'Michael Paine is dead,' Ivo replied in a mechanical tone.

Harry just nodded his head. 'Did we find out who he worked for?'

'Interestingly, it is Travis Bent.'

'It seems the Heavens have already started to act against me,' Harry said amusedly.

'But we still have not made an impact that would affect their authority,' Ivo pointed out.

'It is only a matter of months now, Ivo,' Harry responded with determination. 'The Heavens are going to feel the first defiance of man.'

'I have truly made the right choice in choosing your side,' Ivo remarked smiling at Harry. 'Only you would want to suffer the wrath of the Heavens.'

'If I have to suffer their wrath to destroy them then I am willing to make those sacrifices.'

'Speaking of which- what do we do about Ginevra Weasley's murder?' asked Ivo.

'Nothing. We cannot afford to make an issue about it. We should give them the illusion that they have the upper hand,' Harry replied.

'And your children and wife?'

'James can look out for himself. Albus, even if he returns for his mother's funeral will not stay here. Lily is under Daphne's care. As for Daphne- you know how dangerous she can be.'

'You seemed to have prepared well for this moment,' said Ivo thoughtfully.

'I knew this day would come. The day I decided to challenge the Heavens I knew about the sacrifices I had to make to achieve my goal.'

'I have also news about O'Brien requesting your wife for a meeting,' Ivo informed.

'So, they are going to use her,' Harry said thoughtfully. 'That might be a slight hindrance I'll take care of it.'

'What about Mr Bent?'

'We leave him for now. At least until all our pieces are set in place.'

Ivo nodded. 'So, what is our next move?'

A small smile broke into Harry's serious expression, and he said, 'I become Britain's Minister of Magic.'

 **A/N: I write stories for my own pleasure...and hopefully yours. And the only way I can know you have enjoyed my story is through feedback. So, please review.**

 **P.S. English is not my first language, so please be free to point out my errors.**

 **P.S.S. This is my first story in this site; no flames please.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. J.K. Rowling is a god to have given us that world**.

Chapter 3

The weather was freezing, and the warming charms he had cast before entering the forest, were doing nothing for Albus. The Forest of La Neblina, was associated with its cold weather, and it was not because of its geographical location, but because of a mysterious magical mist, which always covered the forest. The coldness caused by the mist didn't allow any life to survive in the forest, and the trees were all dead and blackened. Magic also didn't seem to counter the cursed cold, as Albus was discovering it first- hand.

'Do you want some?' the woman beside him said handing him a small metal flask. Albus without a second thought took the flask and took a swig. The liquid, whatever it was, sent a warm sensation down his throat and he could immediately feel his body warming up.

'This is good. What is this, Anushka?' asked Albus taking another sip.

Anushka was extremely beautiful with her sharp features and bronze coloured skin. Her raven coloured hair was very long and she mostly wore it as a high ponytail. She had a very athletic physique, one which could only be obtained by strenuous training with dedication. But these were not the features which made people stare at her; it was because of her yellow feline like eyes, which granted her vision at night and the ability to see great distances.

'It's called Atapya Drau. My people drink it while they work during the winters,' Anushka explained. 'All though I could not find the all the ingredients used for making the original potion. I improvised with the local ingredients here.'

'Here Matias,' Albus said, handing the flask to the man next to him. 'I think it will do you good.' Matias didn't need to be told twice as he grabbed hold of the flask and quickly drowned the liquid.

'This really does work,' Matias said, handing the flask back to Albus.

'Do you think the information is correct?' Albus asked, he had started doubting the information they had received about the Baron doing something there. They had been inside the Forest of La Neblina for nearly two hours and they had seen nothing there, except the dark shadows of the dead trees surrounded by the white mist.

'She has never been wrong,' Matias replied, keeping a close eye on their surroundings.

'But if we continue to stay here any longer we might freeze to death,' Albus pointed out wrapping his cloak tighter around his body. The eerie silence and the darkened trees only seemed to add more to the coldness of the place. 'Do you know why the mist is confined to the forest?'

'Nobody knows the real reason, but there is an old legend told by the village folk,' Matias began. 'Once this land was ruled by a demon king. He thought himself to be the most powerful being in the realm, and decided to challenge the gods. The gods decided to teach the demon king a lesson. One day when the demon was passing through this forest, the gods launched a surprise attack on him. The demon king in order to save himself transformed himself into this mist, but the gods were cleverer than him. First they cast a barrier which didn't allow the mist to escape the forest. Then they cursed the demon king so that he could never change back.'

'And you believe all that?' Albus scoffed. He had never believed in demons, gods, or the various theories that explained the origins of magic. According to him, magic came into being just like the universe; it was a form of energy, which was spread throughout the universe and settled into vessels which could accommodate it, sort of a conductor. He supported the theory of Rigel Schneider of magic being an innate part of the universe, and magicals were just vessels which could conduct that energy.

'It is as I said, a legend. But legends are based somewhat on facts,' Matias countered.

'So you believe in demons and higher beings?' Albus asked, a bit disappointed by his comrade's thoughts.

'My people have believed in the existence of higher beings for thousands of years. I cannot challenge their faith nor change it. But what I can do is fight for what I believe in. And I believe in freedom of my people. If there is a god I know he too will side with me.'

Albus looked at Matias with admiration. Matias did not command great magic like Albus Dumbledore or Nushrat Khan. He was an ordinary wizard, but an extraordinary leader. His drive, his charisma, and his relentless pursuit for freedom was the reason why Albus had joined forces with him. He knew with Matias he could create a world which his father could never make; a free world.

'Angela has reported of their arrival,' Anushka spoke suddenly, grabbing the attention of both men instantly. 'She says they have just entered the north east part of the forest.'

Anushka was wearing one of the communicator earrings invented by his uncle George. George was quite impressed when he had first seen the muggle earpiece at work. He had thought that an unnoticeable communication device would be an excellent addition to his joke shop. So, after many failed attempts he finally managed to make the communicator earrings and earplugs.

Albus always used to carry many of his uncle's superb inventions with him. He was not much of a prankster, which his uncle was very very disappointed about, but those inventions came handy in various other situations. He had provided Matias with the earrings and earplugs, and they were being a great help, especially during missions.

'How many are there?' Matias asked.

Anushka touched the earring with her fingers and repeated Matias' question. After a brief pause she replied, 'There are three Shrouds and four guards.'

'Ask Angela to follow them but from a distance,' Matias ordered. 'Tell her our team will be the first to engage and only after that her team is to attack. And also inform Sebastian to move towards his east.' Anushka nodded and repeated her previous actions.

'Why would he send the Shrouds?' Albus asked.

The Baron was a dictator who had taken over the Venezuelan Magical World. He was a master of the dark arts and was known for his merciless killing. Matias, along with a group of wizards and witches, had formed a group which fought against the tyranny of the Baron. Albus and Anushka had decided to join them in their quest for freedom.

The Shrouds were the Baron's best magic casters. They were supposed to be made of pure magic, collected from the bodies of dead magical beings.

'That means we are at an advantage,' Matias replied. Albus could not help but notice the excitement in his comrade's voice. It sounded as if he was eager to face the Shrouds.

'How?'

'The mist devours magic and the Shrouds are pure magic,' Matias replied. 'As long as we don't use magic, we are safe.' Albus nodded in understanding. 'We move this way.' Matias motioned towards his right. 'We might be able to cut them off before they reach Sebastian and his team.'Albus and Anushka nodded in unison and started following Matias through the thick mist.

Albus didn't know where they were going. All he could see was the shadowy shape of the trees and white mist which hid everything. Matias had assured him he knew his way around the forest, but Albus doubted if there was a known path around the forest. It was like an unending maze, where only the extremely lucky ones could get out alive.

They walked through the mist, with Matias leading the way. Albus knew they were heading somewhere, but with the same scenery all around it was impossible to determine where they were, or where they were heading. Matias suddenly stopped on his tracks and motioned Albus and Anushka to stop as well. They were instantaneous to follow his command.

'They are coming,' Matias said in a whisper.

Albus was bewildered by Matias' statement. There was no indication of the Baron's men anywhere near them. Matias had warned him earlier not to cast any magic while they were inside the forest, unless he liked to die a horrible death, which he had added with a smile. But he readied his wand none the less, one never knew what could happen. He looked around to see if he had missed anything, but there was nothing but white mist and dead trees. He then concentrated on his hearing, there was a possibility Matias had heard something; there was nothing. He turned to Matias, and was about to ask how he had confidently declared that the Baron's men were near, when he heard cracking sounds. Albus quickly turned towards the direction of the sound; Anushka had also heard it. The sound drew closer and closer, and this time he could hear a whooshing sound accompanied by the cracking one. Suddenly bright blue lights became visible from the same direction, as the mist began to clear.

Four men carrying whips which seemed to be burning in blue flames were at the front. They were using the burning whips to somehow clear the mist. There were three heavily cloaked figures behind them, and they were carrying a chest.

'Your time has come,' Matias said turning to Anushka. Anushka nodded in understanding and then took out a small bronze item from her robes. She then rolled the item on her hand three times and then the bronze item was replaced by a regal looking bow. Albus now understood why Matias had asked Anushka to carry her bow with her. Even though, her bow was a magical item, magic was not required to use it. The only requirement was you had to be one of Anushka's family. She stretched the bow without putting any arrows in it, and took aim at one of the front men. She released the string of the bow, and an invisible arrow struck one of the men in his thigh.

The man who had been struck by the invisible arrow crashed to the ground crying out in pain. The region where he had been struck immediately began to freeze. Albus had seen Anushka use her invisible _frost arrows_ before, actually he had been a recipient, so he knew how much pain it caused, and how it made the affected region inoperative.

'We have been attacked!' cried one of the whip wielders in spanish. The others quickly formed a defensive cover around the cloaked figures. But Anushka was too quick for them as another one of her _frost arrows_ struck one of the wielders on the back, and another quickly followed striking the last human guard.

'I think that is enough,' Matias said motioning Anushka to stop her attack. Anushka without questioning lowered her bow. The mist began to settle back, slowly devouring the vision of enemies.

'Why are we not attacking? We have the upper hand?' Albus pointed out. He was a bit taken aback by Matias' command.

'The Shrouds don't like the mist,' Matias replied as if that would explain anything.

'I think Albus is right,' Anushka interjected. 'We may not get a better opportunity.'

'You will understand in a few moments,' Matias countered calmly. Just as Matias had finished speaking those words, a forceful wind blew through the area clearing all the mist. Albus brought up his hands to shield his eyes from the wind, which was without any doubt generated by the Shrouds. This surprised Albus, because Matias had told him it was not a good idea to use magic inside the forest.

The wind passed away giving them, as well as the enemy, a clear view of the area. The moisture on the outer surface of the trees glistened under the light, making them look alive. Albus noticed that the ground around the Shrouds were burning, but the flames were not causing any damage to them or the guards. The Shrouds then raised their hands and began to chant in some unknown language. The burning earth began to rise from the ground and they began to take the shape of long spikes. Suddenly, the spikes were thrown in different directions with great force. Albus saw that some of the spikes were heading straight towards them, so he conjured a shield to protect themselves from the incoming attack.

'What have you done?' Matias paled looking at the shield as the spikes crashed into it. 'I warned you not to cast any magic.'

'It was reaction out of habit,' Albus shrugged. 'And they are using magic as well.'

'No you don't understand-'

Before Matias could complete what he was saying a loud roaring sound resonated throughout the forest.

'What was that?' Albus asked. The sound was unlike any creature he had ever heard; it sounded terrifying and big.

'The forest's protector,' Matias said in a fearful tone.

Whatever was making the noise didn't seem to scare the Shrouds as much as it scared Matias. They immediately launched an attack towards them, this time it was some kind of cutting curse. The curse sliced the trees on its way towards them, and then it crashed into Albus' shield, shattering it. Albus and the others were knocked back a few steps but remained unhurt. Since, he had already broken the rule of not using magic inside the forest, and had already awakened the protector, there was no point in holding back. Albus, quickly regained his footing and charged towards the Shrouds.

'Stupefy' Albus yelled out, and sent the dark cutting curse towards one of the Shrouds. The curse hit the Shroud square on the chest, but to Albus' total shock the Shroud did not even fall back, let alone be stunned.

'Reducto' Matias yelled from behind him. It seemed that Matias had followed his thinking and had thrown caution to the wind. Matias' spell also connected full on, but the result was the same.

Albus was absolutely shocked by what was happening. Their spells were having little to no effect on the Shrouds. Was it some kind of shield? Or were they immune to magic?

Albus' thoughts were cut short when the Shrouds began to chant again and threw a wave of flames towards them. Albus quickly ran towards his side, taking cover among the trees, and expertly dodged the flames. The flames hit the trees and they started to burn. His experience in duelling had taught him to avoid unnecessary shields when he could avoid spells by dodging them. This gave him more time to attack, and use less magic.

'Reducto' cried Albus aiming his wand at the Shrouds, but again the Shrouds remained unscathed. One of the Shrouds then turned towards Albus and aimed his palm at him. Albus did not know what he was doing, but continued to run in a haphazard manner using the trees as a cover. A blue light shot from the palm of the Shroud and it dispersed into hundreds of smaller light beams in mid-air. The light beams crashed into the trees, and the ground, but one managed to hit Albus on his right shoulder.

The pain was excruciating, but Albus fought through the pain and cried out 'Sectumsempra.'

The spell hit the Shroud and slashed the cloak it was wearing. The Shroud did not bleed, in fact there was no flesh beneath the cloak. Albus realized at that moment, Shrouds were not human at all.

He tried to think of a plan as another wave of flames missed him. The Shrouds were probably some kind of creature which could command magic. And if they were any similar to the creatures he had faced then they were bound to have a weakness, but the question was whether they could survive long enough to discover that weakness.

Albus saw that the Shroud was again taking aim at him. He was growing tired from running around, but there was no other choice. Just when the Shroud was about to release an attack, a volley of _frost arrows_ connected with it. The Shroud remained immobile for a few moments, as the places where he had been struck began to freeze. The burning ground from where the Shrouds had remained unmoved began to glow brighter and the frozen parts began to melt, the Shroud after its brief nullification began to move again.

Ice was their weakness, came the immediate thought in his mind.

'We need to freeze them!' Albus shouted to his allies. His information had an instant reaction, as Matias threw a freezing spell on one of the Shrouds. The spell connected and the Shroud became immobile, but again the burning earth began to glow and the effects of the spell were cancelled out.

The scorched earth was protecting the Shrouds from any freezing attack. So, they had to first destroy the scorched earth before they started to attack the Shrouds.

'We need to destroy the burning ground first!' Albus shouted continuing to move around. Albus then sent a freezing spell towards the scorched earth, hoping it would have the desired effect. The spell struck the ground, but nothing happened, it was as if the spell was absorbed by the earth.

Matias also seemed to be thinking on the same lines and cast a _reducto_ on the burning ground, but the same thing happened to his spell as well. Anushka too tried to destroy the scorched earth with a flurry of her arrows, but they had no effect on it.

Albus was running out of ideas. If they continued to fight they would certainly loose, and if they backed down all their efforts would have been for naught.

Albus dodged another attack of the blue beams by backing into the forest. He put hid himself behind a thick tree, away from the sight of the Shrouds. His stamina was running out, and the burning tress were making it difficult for him to run in the frontlines. Maybe if they stayed back and attacked from a distance the Shrouds would try and chase them leaving the area of the scorched earth, thought Albus. While he was thinking of another plan, Albus noticed something strange; all the mist had vanished.

'The mist is gone!' Albus shouted. But there was no reply to his cry because his voice was drowned by a strange loud sound, it was like hundreds of centaurs galloping at the same time, and it was heading towards them. Albus saw something white coming towards them. At first he thought it was the mist, but then he realized it was faster and heavier. He stood up to run, but before his body could be set into motion a fierce, freezing and decimating blizzard hit him, forcing his body to crash onto the tree behind which he was hiding. The power of the blizzard did not allow him to keep his eyes open nor move his body, he could feel his face and his hands freezing under its chill. He thought he was going to die frozen inside the forest of La Neblina. Then all of a sudden the blizzard stopped as it had begun.

His eyelids felt very heavy and with great effort he was able to open them slightly, he looked around and saw a completely different scene, he had woken into an icy world. He tried to move his hands but they felt numb, along with the rest of his body. He could not help but wonder what had caused all this, then he remembered using magic inside the forest. He then thought of Anushka and Matias, they were also probably struck by the blizzard. He was pretty sure the Shrouds, whose weakness was cold, perished under the blizzard. He needed to move, he needed to get up; he needed to save his comrades.

He closed his eyes and tried to meditate, concentrating fully on reaching the magic within him. He had learnt to do this from the monks in the Eastern Himalayas. He had never been able to completely master the art, but he knew he could achieve what was needed. He began to imagine a light passing through his body, he concentrated on that light. The light then began to flow through his body, grasping the magic within him. He felt his magic responding, as heat began to spread throughout his body. He continued to concentrate as the imaginary light started to grow brighter and completely engulf his body.

Albus slowly opened his eyes, they were no longer heavy. His body no longer felt cold or numb, and moved at his will. He slowly pulled his body up from the ground and looked around at his frozen surroundings. It was like he was back in the Himalayas. He grabbed his wand and turned towards the battleground, but what he saw next blew his mind.

A large white wyvern was circling the sky. Its entire body appeared to be made of ice, and its movement was causing snow to fall on the ground beneath. Albus had little doubt that the wyvern was the cause of the blizzard. Then he turned his focus onto the ground, the burning earth had vanished and only the cloaks of the Shrouds remained. The body of the guards were partially covered with snow and on the other side Matias and Anushka lay motionless on the cold ground.

Albus tried to run towards them but a piercing screech from the wyvern caused him to stop on his tracks. He turned his attention back at the wyvern who swooped down towards the ground. The wyvern was about to make a feast out of his comrades, but he was not going to allow it. Gripping his wand tightly he aimed at the ground and screamed:

'Delkhii Zavsarlaga An Tsavyn Khagalakh'

The ground began to break sending the broken pieces flying into the air. The broken pieces pierced the wyvern's body, making it cry out in pain. Albus thought that was enough to stop the wyvern, but he could not have been more wrong. The hurt and angered wyvern turned its attention towards him. The wyvern charged towards him. Albus pointed his wand towards the incoming air assault and yelled:

'Fiendfyre.'

The dark fire escaped from his wand and hit the wyvern head on. The wyvern began to fall back, as Albus pushed more of his magic into the fire. It looked like Albus was going to win the battle, but then the wyvern opened its mouth and released a frosty breath. The breath was more powerful than any dragon he had seen or heard of. It was so powerful that it was able to extinguish the dark fire.

Albus was truly out of wits, how could he possibly fight something that could easily extinguish _fiendfyre_? If he had not died during the countless times he had risked his life he was surely going to die now. There was no way he could escape that thing let alone fight it.

The wyvern screeched, as if gloating at him. The wyvern then waved its wings towards him, the wind created by wings was so strong that it sent Albus flying for a few hundred metres before his body crashed down to the cold hard ground.

He had never imagined that he would meet his end in this fashion, but he was contended to die at the hands of such a powerful opponent. The only thing he regretted was not sending the letter he had written to Lily that morning.

He remained lying on the ground, his shoulders and back were hurting like anything. He could hear the wyvern's screeches coming near him. He did not attempt to move his body, it was useless, the wyvern would easily catch up with him, no matter how hard he were to try to escape. The mist was beginning to come back as he saw traces of it flowing above.

 _I like your smell_ he heard a feminine voice whisper in his ear. _You smell like me, you reek of his blood._

He tried to sit up and see who was speaking, but his body seemed rooted. The mist began to grow thicker and he could no longer hear the wyvern's cries. He felt something caress his face, but it was more likely the mist than a person.

 _I find you interesting. Do you want to stay with me?_

Albus wanted to say no but his lips would not move.

 _But we could be so good together. I can give you any wish you want._

No, Albus yelled mentally.

 _Why? Don't you have any wishes?_

Albus could not believe his luck, one moment he was about to be killed by a wyvern and next he was being tempted by a mysterious voice. But he would gladly choose death than be taken over by something dark.

 _With your thoughts you try to act noble, but let us ask your heart what it really wants._

Albus, literally felt cold fingers wrap around his heart. Suddenly Albus' vision began to darken and just before he lost consciousness he heard the feminine voice say in an amused tone:

 _So, that is what you want._

#

Albus opened his eyes to be welcomed by an unfamiliar ceiling. He sat up from his bed, his head was feeling heavy for some odd reason, but he what surprised him most was the fact that he was alive. He tried to recall what had happened to him, but he could remember only fragments of it. He remembered the wyvern extinguishing the _fiendfyre,_ then there was that voice. He tried to remember what that voice had said, but it was all foggy, had it been a dream? And how had he ended up inside this room?

'You're finally awake,' Matias said entering the room. 'I thought you were never going to wake up.'

'How did we get out alive?' Albus asked immediately.

'You don't remember?' Matias questioned back, raising his eyebrows in surprise. 'And I thought you were going to enlighten us on how you rescued us from that snowstorm.'

'What do you mean I rescued?' Albus was clearly confused.

'Angela says you were the one that carried us out of the forest. I had asked them to retreat immediately after you cast the shield charm. They were supposed to be waiting for us outside the forest, but when we didn't come back they decided to look for us. And just as they were about to enter the forest you emerged out of the mist carrying our unconscious bodies. That is what Angela told me.'

Nothing was making any sense. The last thing he remembered was the wyvern, and Matias was telling him a different tale. What had happened in that forest?

'How did I end up unconscious?' Albus asked.

'Angela says you collapsed immediately after seeing them. We diagnosed your body afterwards. The mist had completely drained your magic. Our magic was also depleted- we thought you were never going to wake up.' Matias paused and gave him a curious look. 'What happened over there?'

That was the same thing Albus wanted to know.

'I don't know,' Albus managed to say. He did not want to explain things which he was also unsure about.

Matias gave him a questioning look but did not press him further. 'Anuksa. I mean Anusha.' Albus could help but smile at Matias continuous attempt to pronounce Anushka's name correctly. He had been at it for months and he was still having problem saying it. 'I don't know why I can't say it like you do. But she was extremely worried about you. We finally got her to sleep. She had stayed without sleeping for four straight days.'

'Four days?'

'You have been in comatose for nearly five days.'

Everything was getting even more puzzling. Why couldn't he remember anything after the wyvern incident? And what had he done that had drained so much of magic from him?

'Say, I know it's not my place,' Matias began but trailed off.

'What?'

'Are you and Anusaka lovers?'

'What gave you that idea?' Albus asked with a frown.

'It's nothing really,' Matias said defensively. 'It's just that I have never seen a woman so devoted to a man before. Sorry if my question offended you.'

'No, it is not that- I just thought- never mind,' Albus brushed it off. People who did not understand his and Anushka's relationship, they usually thought of her as someone who satisfied his physical needs, and he had hated that thought. It was disrespectful to her and the relationship they shared.

'And by the way a letter arrived for you a day after our visit to La Neblina,' Matias said taking out a letter from the breast pocket of his shirt. 'It was amusing.'

'Why? What was on the letter?' Albus asked with a yawn.

'What do you think of me? I am not someone who pries on others private lives,' Matias countered looking offended.

'Then tell me what is so amusing about receiving a letter,' Albus said sarcastically.

'Well you see, Luciana put us under the Fidelius after we set camp. All of our party members had depleted magic, and we could not fight back if we were attacked,' Matias explained. 'But somehow the bird bringing the letter found exactly where you were. It was simply fascinating.'

'Was it a raven?' Albus asked quickly.

'Yes.'

'Hand me the letter quick.' Matias handed him the letter looking puzzled by Albus' sudden urgency.

Albus turned the letter and saw a familiar crest on the back. The crest consisted of a sceptre entwined by a vine and the words _Bon Sang ne Saurait Mentir_ written below it; it was the family crest of the Greengrass family. His mother would not send him a letter using Huninn unless something major had happened. Albus unceremoniously tore open the letter and read the contents.

 _Albus,_

 _Your mother is no longer with us. I cannot give the details, but come home quickly._

 _-D_

His mother Ginny Weasley was dead. He reread the letter hoping to feel something regarding his biological mother's death, but there was nothing. He felt strange, his hate for her had not withered even on her death. It would be best if he didn't respond to the letter. But then his thoughts wandered to his siblings, they had to be going through a tough time; especially Lily. He thought about the last time he had seen her. She was still a child at that time, young and carefree. He missed her smile, her annoyed face, and her scent; the scent of green apples and burning pine. A warm feeling erupted inside him just thinking about her, like a phoenix suddenly bursting into flames.

'What's wrong?' Matias asked giving him a concerned look.

Albus finally looked up from the letter. 'I have to go back to England.'

 **A/N: I write stories for my own pleasure...and hopefully yours. The only way I can know if you enjoyed my work is through your feedback.**

 **P.S. English is not my first language, so please be free to correct my errors.**

 **P.S.S And this is my first story in this site; no flames please**.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. J.K. Rowling is a god to have given us that world.**

Chapter 4

It had been six days since James Potter had last sat down on his desk, and he had missed it more than he had imagined. The desk looked exactly as he had left it; not even a quill had been moved from its place. James immediately pulled a file from the stack on his desk and opened it.

The file detailed the murder of Charles Monroe, a farmer living on the outskirts of a small village in Essex. It was a simple murder. He had been hit with a killing curse while he was sleeping. There had been no foul play, nothing had been stolen, and there was no evidence of anyone aside from his wife being in the house. At first it looked like an open and shut case; the wife had to be the murder. But after examining the body they had found a strange mark on the chest of the victim; it was a tattoo of a sword plunged through a skull. At the beginning they had dismissed the tattoo, and apprehended the wife. But after the wife had passed the Vertaserum test, the case became complicated. Mrs Munroe had informed the Aurors that the victim had never ever gotten a tattoo, and after the report from the Auror diagnostic department proved that the tattoo had been made after the death of the victim.

James and his partner Nathaniel had worked endless hours trying to solve the case, but all they reached was dead ends. It was the perfect murder. After working on the case for two straight weeks their Chief had told them to stash the case. But James had still not given up on that case, he felt it was an injustice to the victim and his family. All crimes, whether big or small, they needed to be justified.

'What the hell are you doing here, Potter?' a voice shouted at him bringing him back to reality.

James looked up from the file and saw an irate Roger Davis looking at him.

'In my office! Now!' Davis yelled at the top of his voice. James thought that the dust from the ceiling fell and landed on his desk because of Davis' powerful yelling.

James reluctantly stood up from his desk and followed an angrily striding Head Auror. He knocked once on the door and entered Davis' office. Davis was standing behind his desk looking angrier than a few moments ago.

'What the hell are you doing here, Potter?' Davis said in a lower tone than before, but James thought that it sounded angrier.

'Work' James replied without thinking.

'Don't smart mouth me!' Davis roared. 'I gave you two weeks leave. What are you doing here after only five days?'

'It's been six days, sir,' James corrected.

'Don't talk when I'm talking!' Davis shouted at the top of his voice. James felt his ears ringing. 'Now tell me, why are you here?'

'Everything I needed to do has finished. So, I thought I would come back to work,' James answered truthfully.

'I don't care what you thought!' Davis bellowed banging his fist on the wooden desk. 'I don't care if you go shopping with your girlfriend, or go fishing, or stay at home. I just don't want to see you in this office till your vacation is over. Do you understand?'

'Yes, sir,' James said unenthusiastically.

'Now, get out of my office!'

James sluggishly exited Davis' office. A few people were staring at him, they had probably heard Davis' marathon shouting. He sat down on his desk and closed the Monroe file and kept it back in its place. He then picked up his bag and started to leave. He had just reached the elevator when he heard his name being called.

'James!'

James turned back and saw a brown-haired man waving at him. James waved back at the man and said, 'Morning, Nate.'

'I thought you had another week,' Nate said closing the distance between them.

'Davis just reminded me about that,' James said bitterly remembering the yelling from Davis. 'Where are you going?'

'There has been another murder at Knockturn Alley,' Nate replied rolling his eyes. 'I don't get it with the people there.'

'There are a couple of rough people over there,' James said with a shrug.

'More than a couple,' Nate added as they entered the elevator. 'This is the third murder this week. I don't know why they don't close that place down.'

'Well, the higher-ups are handsomely paid for their lack of interference. And the people doing business don't seem to mind the regular killings. I would say it is an optimal setting for both.'

'But I'm the one doing all the paper work,' Nate said with disdain.

'That is our job. We can't do anything more,' James said sadly.

'Please, come back quickly,' Nate said pleading look on his face. 'Davis and all this work is killing me.' James chuckled at his partner's display.

The elevators doors opened and they started walking towards the apparition point. After the end of the second war with Voldemort the entire ministry had been turned into a fortress, there were so many wards in place that the only place for safe entry and exit was through the atrium.

'Who is in-charge of my mother's case?' James asked trying to sound normal as possible.

Nate's bright face suddenly turned dark. 'Smith. But I don't think he is getting anywhere.'

James said nothing. He was still not over his mother's murder, it had been the most devastating for him. Unlike, his brother and sister he had forgiven her for running off with someone else. At first he had been angry and had wanted to murder both his mother and her lover, but his father had then explained to him that it was not entirely her fault. His father had said that he was equally at fault for not caring for her more. He had then requested James to forgive his mother for the things she had done. At that moment the respect he had for his father grew even more. He obediently forgave his mother, and continued his duties as her son.

But her sudden murder had a deep effect on him, and many unanswerable questions kept popping inside his head. Ginny Weasley; or Ginevre Giles, had never been much of a public figure after her divorce with Harry Potter. She had quietly settled into her muggle life with her non-magical husband. She did not have much connection with the rest of the wizarding world, other than her family and close friends. So, why was she killed? If it was a message against Harry Potter then it was absolutely pointless. If they really wanted to make an impact they would have killed off Daphne, him or any of his siblings. There was only one conclusion James could arrive from Ginny's death; it was part of a bigger puzzle.

'Where are you heading?' Nate asked bringing James back from his thoughts.

'I'm going to meet Julia and then head home,' James answered.

'How is Julia? It's been ages since I last saw her,' Nate said animatedly.

'She has been extremely busy lately,' James said, thinking about how she complained about getting exhausted because of too many customers.

Julia Muller was James' fiancé. He had had met her two years ago in Diagon Alley. At that time she had just opened her shop, and he had been stationed there to patrol the area. At first they started out as friends but their attraction was too strong and soon they became a couple. Their love only grew from then on. And they would have been married next month had it not been for his mother's untimely death.

'Well her shop of curiosity has earned a lot of name over the years,' Nate pointed out.

'At least she gets to go out and do her job,' James said darkly. 'I have to sit my arse down at home for another week.'

'How about you come with me now?' Nate said suggestively.

'What do you mean?' James asked confusedly.

'I mean come to the crime scene.'

'Are you mad? Davis will have your head for that,' James said incredulously.

'Come on. You need to get some steam off. I need help. I don't see any issue here.'

'But the other Aurors will recognize me for sure,' James replied still sceptical about his partner's idea.

'Put some glamour on and let me do all the talking,' Nate said casually.

James thought for a moment and then replied, 'I don't see any problem there.'

'My ideas are always flawless.' Nate puffed his chest arrogantly. James shook his head looking at his partner's childish display.

They finally arrived at the apparition point. James quickly imagined the entrance of Diagon Alley. When the clear image was established in his head he began concentrating on it. He then felt the familiar sensation of being pushed through a tiny opening and with the sound of small crack he was standing at the entrance of Diagon Alley. Another cracking sound followed respectively after his arrival, signalling Nate's apparition.

'Okay put on your glamour,' Nate ordered immediately after his arrival.

James moved the tip of his wand around his face and all of a sudden his auburn hair turned raven black, and his brown eyes turned green.

'What are you doing making yourself look like your father,' Nate nearly cried out looking at his appearance.

'What difference does it make,' James said with a shrug.

'Glamours are meant to avoid unwanted attention. If you go looking like that people will wonder what Harry Potter is doing with an Auror.'

'Okay,' James said reluctantly.

He re-enacted his previous wand movements and changed the colour of his hair to blonde. He also adjusted his nose to look a bit different but he kept the colour of his eyes the same.

'There. Happy?' James said sarcastically.

'You look plain,' Nate said wrinkling his tall nose.

'As you said earlier that is the purpose of the glamour charm,' James pointed out.

'But still-'

'Let's just go!' James cried out in exasperation.

'Okay,' Nate said lifting his hands in defeat.

Diagon Alley had changed much over the years. The area had expanded a lot, and new businesses were always coming up. There was talk of creating a new area, similar to Diagon Alley, somewhere in North London. They were still working on it with the muggle government; according to what James had heard. James liked the idea; change was always a good thing. His uncle Ron had once mentioned to him how Diagon Alley was not like how James had known it. Before the second war with Voldemort the wizarding world of Britain was in a mess. Foreigners were not allowed to do their business in Diagon Alley, and new faces were always suspects. At that time blood supremacy was at its pinnacle and anything related with non-magicals was considered heresy. Most wizards did not even wear muggle clothes; all that was hard to imagine for James. Now when he looked at Diagon Alley you would hardly find anybody, except for the old and high ministry officials, wearing wizarding robes. Even he himself preferred muggle clothing over the traditional wizarding robes; muggle clothes were easier to wear and move in. He chuckled imagining himself running after criminals wearing old Auror robes.

'What's so funny?' Nate asked.

'Just thinking about something,' James responded ignoring the suspicious look on Nate's face.

They took a turn and finally entered Knockturn Alley. As always the area looked suspicious and dangerous. After seeing the colourful atmosphere of Diagon Alley, Knockturn Alley looked like a dark colourless world. The buildings, the shops, and the people wandering about all looked like they had come out of some dark wizard's fantasy.

'Where are we going exactly?' James asked as they moved deeper into Knockturn Alley.

'Madame Sofia's place.'

'I thought they were going to close down that place?'

'Madame Sofia has connections in high places. You really thought they were going to let it happen.'

That did not come off as a surprise to James. He knew Madame Sofia's brothel was one of the busiest places in Knockturn Alley. It was said that her establishment was the most profitable in all of Diagon Alley and Knockturn Alley combined. He had heard and seen many big names in magical Britain moving in and out of her establishment. Who would have thought a pureblood supporter like Marcus Flint had a fetish half-sirens.

A crowd had gathered outside Madame Sofia's establishment, or as locals used to call it, the Aspasia. The Aspasia was an old building which looked like it had not been renovated since its inception; but that was only its exterior. The interior, evidently looked like a palace, according to those who had gone inside; James himself had never had the opportunity or wanted it.

They moved through the crowd, which had been separated from the crime scene by a yellow line drawn on the ground. The yellow line was actually a ward, which did not allow people who were not carrying an Auror badge to enter the area inside its perimeter. Inside the line there were two Aurors standing above an unmoving body, which was the victim.

'So, this is the victim,' Nate said pointing at the body.

'Yes,' one of the replied. 'Male. Around his mid-forties. Does not have any identification. No wands. One of the girls found him like here this morning.'

'Cook, call Madame Sofia,' Nate ordered one of the Aurors. The Auror nodded and paced inside the building. Nate then turned to the other Auror. 'What do you think happened him?'

'The killing curse, sir,' the Auror replied.

James closely examined the body with his eyes. There was no signs of foul play, there were no visible injuries, definitely the work of a killing curse. But this was not a type of murder one would associate with Knockturn Alley. Most of murders which occurred there were because of duels, and there were usually evidences of the fighting on the victim's body. But the body which lay in front of him told a different story. James could imagine the killer waiting in the darkness for the victim. And as soon as he saw the victim he used the killing curse, without thinking of anything else. This was not a murder because of some duel gone awry, it was a carefully calculated one.

'I don't think this is like other murders,' James voiced out his thoughts.

'What do you mean Auror Walker?' Nate said looking at him.

James frowned at the fake surname Nate had just given him, but did not say anything about it. He then began to explain his theory. 'Usually our victims from Knockturn Alley are results of duel deaths. But our victim here does not fit into that category. He may or may not have been wandless at the time of his death, but it would not have mattered. The killer used the killing curse before our victim could afford any form of resistance.'

'So, this was a revenge killing?'

'Could be. Or it could have been a hit,' James provided.

'Madame Sofia, sir,' Cook interrupted their conversation as he arrived with a beautiful looking brunette woman who stood right at the edge of the yellow line.

'Good morning, Auror Finn,' Madame Sofia said with a curt nod.

'It's not a good morning when we have one of your clients dead in the middle of the street,' Nate said coldly.

'As I have already told your men Auror Finn, that man was not a customer of Aspasia last night or any other night,' Madame Sofia countered in a calm voice.

'Then what is he doing just outside your building,' Nate demanded.

'Maybe one of your people dumped his body here to frame us. Some people have wanted to close this place for a long time.'

'Watch your words Madame Sofia or you might regret them,' Nate warned.

'Why is it a crime to speak out one's thoughts? But with Aurors anything is possible' Madame Sofia's said her voice filled with sarcasm.

Nate looked immensely agitated, his ears were turning crimson, and it looked like he was stabbing Madame Sofia with his glare.

'Could you just give us the name of the customers that visited last night,' James said quickly before Nate said something that could cause trouble.

'I have a strict policy against revealing my customer's identities.'

'Or I could just arrest you, for obstructing Auror investigation,' Nate said angrily.

'Nate just go see if there is anything on the body,' James said before Madame Sofia could retort. Nate shot James an angry glare, but proceeded to what he had been told.

'At least you seem to be the sensible one,' Madame Sofia said turning towards James.

'So, you will not share your customer information with us?' James continued.

'No.'

'What if we bring permission from the DMLE?'

'Then you have full access. But you cannot mention my involvement in this,' Madame Sofia negotiated.

'If you are innocent- you and your business will remain undisturbed,' James assured her.

'Thank you- Are you a new Auror?' Madame Sofia asked looking at him intently. 'I have never seen you before.'

'Yes, I'm-'

'James!' Nate cried out suddenly.

James mentally slapped his own face for having such an idiotic partner. What was the point of being incognito when you call out the real name? And there were no other James' in the Auror department other than James Potter. But James disappointment immediately died when he saw the look of shock on Nate's face.

'What did you discover?' James asked quickly.

'Look at this,' Nate said pointing at the chest of the victim.

James could not see what Nate was showing from the angle where he was standing. He quickly moved towards the body and leaned in to see what had shocked Nate so much. What he saw next stunned James for a moment; on the man's chest was a tattoo of a sword piercing a skull.

#

The Clover Leaf was one of the few magical establishments in Belfast which catered to both the muggles and magicals. It was a small bar, not anything fancy, and was an ideal place if you did not want any needless attention. The bar was usually filled with people both magical and muggle, all enjoying a drink, while some local performer performed on the small stage. Robert O'Brien was not a fan of such places, he preferred places which the general public could not afford, places where you spent your top galleon and got the finest services. But he had no choice but to choose The Clover Leaf this time, it was the only place where he could meet Daphne Greengrass without arising any form of suspicion.

O'Brien glanced at his watch; it was already quarter past eight. He had told Greengrass to arrive exactly at eight o'clock, but there was still no sign of her. He signalled the barkeeper to refill his glass, he had already finished his second drink, and this would be the last one; he was not going to wait for her any longer. He watched the barkeeper elegantly pour _fire whisky_ into his glass. He glanced at the drunk next to him, and was absolutely disgusted by him. This was the reason why he hated such shabby places, it was full of classless people who did not know any better. He picked up the refilled glass and took a sip of the brownish liquid; at least the _fire whisky_ was not as bad as the place.

'Good evening, Mr O'Brien,' someone called from behind him. He reluctantly turned around and saw a blonde blue-eyed beauty standing in front of him.

'Miss Greengrass!' O'Brien blurted out.

'It's Lady Greengrass-Potter or Lady Potter,' Daphne corrected.

'My apologies,' O'Brien said regretfully. 'Let me get us an empty table.'

'No, I think its fine here,' Daphne replied nonchalantly.

'But someone might lean into our conversation,' O'Brien said in a sweet tone.

'Even walls have ears Mr O'Brien. If anyone where to spy on our conversation they would hear it even if we whispered it to one another,' Daphne countered in her cold voice.

O'Brien felt his anger rise, no woman had ever spoken with him in that fashion. If it had been another place and another time, he would have shown her where her sharp little mouth belonged. But he controlled his anger and forced a smile at her.

'Would you like a drink?' O'Brien offered while silently casting a charm around them, so that they were not overheard.

'Let's us not waste time in showing social courtesy Mr O'Brien. Just tell me what business you have with me,' Daphne stated.

O' Brien gritted his teeth in anger. The woman dared to talk about wasting time when she was the one who made him wait. She may have been blessed with features of a goddess, but her attitude needed to be tamed.

'Well?' Daphne said arching her eyebrows at him.

'I have heard that your husband has designs to become Minister of Magic,' O'Brien said looking at her intently. He had mastered the art of reading faces, and even the slightest movements were easily noticed by him. If she thought she was going to lie to him, then she was very wrong.

'Frankly, I don't know what his designs are,' Daphne replied taking a seat beside him. 'We don't talk about politics or work at home.'

'Well not in front of the family, but surely he must have given you hints about what he is about to do.'

'If you just wanted to ask questions about my husband why was there a need to call me? It would have been better if you had called him instead,' Daphne said passively.

O'Brien clenched his fists tightly, Daphne was really starting to get under his skin. He reminded himself he was under orders and he had to get Daphne Greengrass on their side by whatever means necessary. Even if he had to suffer through her nerve-wracking attitude.

'But Lady Potter you are the only who can persuade your husband not to commit such a folly,' O'Brien said trying to flatter her. He knew from experience beautiful women could easily be flattered with a few nice words.

'I don't like to use my privileges as his wife to dictate what he should or should not do,' Daphne replied in her cold demeanour.

'But you don't understand what problems your husband's choices might cost us,' O'Brien argued.

'You deal in potions right, Mr O'Brien?' Daphne asked suddenly.

'Yes,' O'Brien replied quite surprised by her question.

'If you are not doing anything illegal I assure you my husband's ascent will not hamper your business,' Daphne said offhandedly. 'And even if you are, I think a few bribes here and there will suffice for your clean passage.'

'What are you trying to insinuate?' O'Brien asked with a hint of anger in his voice.

'I'm just saying- No government is perfect. Not even Harry Potter's.'

O'Brien took in a deep breath and let it out. He needed to cool down his nerves, before he did something which would escalate the situation even more. 'What I am talking about has no relation to my business.'

'Then?'

'A few powerful people are not happy with Lord Potter becoming the Minister. I am just an advocate presenting their concerns about that matter.'

'So?'

O'Brien was ready to curse the woman in front of him to oblivion. Not only were her responses vexing him, but her emotionless face was becoming too overbearing for him. He wished he could just walk out of the meeting, but he had no other choice, and she knew that as well. In all probability, she was toying with him, and he could do nothing but oblige her.

'These are very dangerous people I'm talking about,' O'Brien warned.

'If you wanted to warn me Mr O'Brien, you could have just sent a letter. At least it would not have wasted my time,' Daphne returned and sat up to leave.

He was now understanding why they called Daphne Greengrass _the_ _Empress,_ she was not going to listen to him unless he offered her something of value. He was thinking of using his trump card for the next negotiations but from the way things were going, he did not have much of a choice.

'I will give you the location of the _Sceptre of Alrucus._ '

Daphne stopped on her tracks and turned around with a smile on her face. It was as if she was expecting him to say that. She strode back to her seat, her blue eyes gleaming with excitement. 'Now that is what you should have said in the beginning.'

'Are you going to listen to my proposition now?' O'Brien said with irritation.

'I am all ears, Mr O'Brien,' Daphne replied, her corrupting smile refusing to leave her face.

'I want you to stop Harry Potter from becoming Minister.'

'I can't promise you that,' Daphne returned immediately.

'Then there will be no deal between us,' O'Brien said effectively. He was kind of relieved for finally getting an opportunity to dictate his terms.

'Let me make you a counter offer,' Daphne said leaning forward. O'Brien could not help himself but glance at her ample chest. 'My husband has a lot of support from many of the houses and also from the new representatives. So, it will be difficult to beat him.' O'Brien could not help notice the bitterness of her voice when she said _new representatives._ The purebloods really hated muggleborns and halfbloods being represented in the Wizengamot; old habits were indeed hard to kill. 'But I assure you my allegiance will not lie with him.'

'What good will that do? He will become Minister from other votes.'

'Not if I am the one standing against him.'

'You mean-'

'Yes,' Daphne replied before O'Brien could even complete his thought.

O'Brien could not believe what he was hearing, Daphne Greengrass had just volunteered to stand against Harry Potter in the elections for Minister of Magic. She was the leader of the Pureblood faction and if his information was correct, she had support of many of the light families as well. If there was an ideal political opposition for Harry Potter it could only be her. It was better than any outcome he had envisioned while he was preparing for the meeting. But there was still some doubt in all of it, Daphne was cunning as they came, so there was a chance she might have already planned out everything beforehand just to get her hands on the sceptre.

'How do I know if this is not one of your clever plans?'

'How do I know that your location is the correct one?' Daphne countered easily.

'So, we trust each other?'

'We could always take a magical vow,' Daphne offered.

'That would be too extreme for my liking,' O'Brien said with a nervous chuckle. 'How about I give you the location after you become the Minister.'

'How about you give me the location now.'

'It would be foolish of me to agree to that.'

'And it would be foolish on my behalf to agree with your stipulation.'

O'Brien laughed out aloud at her remark. 'So, how do we reach an agreement?'

Daphne thought for a moment and then said, 'How about you retrieve the Sceptre from its location. Then you will show it to me. I will see whether it is genuine or not. If it is the real one, you continue to hold on to it till I have kept my end of the deal.'

'I think I can agree to that,' O'Brien said after pondering on it for a moment.

'So, we have an agreement?' Daphne said putting his hand forward.

'Yes,' O'Brien replied, taking her hand. 'Why don't we toast to our new partnership?'

'I would love to- but there is a family reunion I cannot afford to miss,' Daphne said smiling happily. Her genuine smile surprised him, but he could not deny that it looked beautiful on her. She stood up from her seat. 'And Mr O'Brien don't call on me until you have the Sceptre with you.'

Her comment managed to tickle his supressed anger, but he simply smiled at her and said, 'Good night, Lady Potter. I look forward to working with you.' Daphne did not catch his words as she was already scampering towards the exit. O'Brien watched her as she exited the bar, he was still wary of her but she was the bet against Harry Potter. The other thing that was plaguing his mind was how he was supposed to get the _Sceptre of Alrucus,_ without the key.

He turned back to his drink and took a large gulp. He knew where the sceptre was, but without the key it would be impossible to open the doors of the temple, and even if he tried to open it, the guards would kill him before he could even reach the sceptre. He could try to cheat her, but knowing how long Daphne had studied about the sceptre it was nearly impossible for her to fall for that. He was definitely not going to hand her the sceptre, but he had to at least let her examine it, so that she would keep her end of the bargain.

'Thinking of the temple,' the drunk beside him suddenly spoke.

O'Brien was startled by the words uttered by the drunk; it was like he had read his mind. There was a good chance that the man was an accomplished legimis, and the fact that he had revealed himself meant he was not a spy. He immediately concentrated in strengthening his occlumency shields, and then cautiously turned towards the drunk.

'It was very amateur of you to leave you occlumeny shields down, Robert,' the drunk said smiling at him.

O'Brien immediately recognised the face, even though the shabby clothes and dirty hat, made him look completely different.

'Master Xavier!' O'Brien nearly cried out in surprise. 'You were here all the time.'

'Yes, I had to see how you were carrying out your mission,' Xavier answered.

'Didn't you have faith in me?' O'Brien said a bit disappointed.

'No, I have full faith in you Robert. I just wanted to check if Lady Potter is indeed suitable for our cause.'

'So, what do you think?' O'Brien asked curiously.

'I think she is perfect.'

O'Brien smiled in gratitude; he had succeeded in pleasing his master. 'But what about the Sceptre?'

'One of the Pillars has the key to the temple,' Xavier replied in a slightly disappointed voice. 'But it is very difficult to get hold of her.'

'If you tell me. I will surely-'

'No.' Xavier shot him down before he could even complete his suggestion. 'She is too dangerous. I think you have to meet one of the Pillars in England. He might help you in this regard.'

The idea of meeting another Pillar of the Heavens excited O'Brien. He had not met anyone other than Master Xavier, the one who had introduced him to the world of grander scheme of things.

'How will I recognize him?' O'Brien asked.

'He will come to you. His name is Ivo.'

 **A/N: I write stories for my own pleasure...and hopefully yours. And the only way I can know you have enjoyed my story is through feedback. So, please review.**

 **P.S. English is not my first language, so please be free to point out my errors.**

 **P.S.S. This is my first story in this site; no flames please.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. J.K. Rowling is a god to have given us that world.**

Chapter 5

Emily Winterbourne looked at the people inside the room, everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves. Chelsea her best friend, was busy talking with other people. Brendon, Chelsea's boyfriend was faithfully following behind her. Heather was busy talking to some woman she did not know. Mark as always was surrounded by a group of giggling women. She never understood the reason why so many members of the female population were attracted towards Mark. She agreed that he was easy on the eyes, but that was it, nothing else was spectacular about him. Maybe, there was, but she had never noticed it, or others were blind. She then turned her attention to a man who was hitting on a woman, both seemed to be enjoying their interaction. She looked down on the full glass of untouched wine in her hand, and said to herself, this place is not for me.

She saw a smart-looking man walk towards her. Her immediate instinct was to run away but her mind told her not to cause a scene. She stayed rooted at the spot, like a flag pole, upright and dead.

'Hi,' the man greeted her.

She knew she was supposed to exchange words, it was a socially expected response. But she could not find any words that would effectively explain the type of response she wanted to give. So, she remained silent.

'My name is Adam. Chelsea tells me you went to the same school?' the man continued.

Alarms went ringing inside her head. She needed to say something in return; something casual, something uninteresting, or something funny. Her arms were tingling, and she felt a drop of sweat run down her back. She tried to find words but her mind was blank. She needed words, she moved her mouth and suddenly sound came out and it said:

'I'm a witch.'

The man blinked at her, his expression a definition of complexity. Then he burst out into laughter.

'For a while there I thought you were being serious,' Adam said in between his laughs. She felt her cheeks heat up, she had never been more embarrassed in her life. At that moment she really wanted to die.

'What is so funny?' Chelsea asked joining in on their awkward conversation.

'Your friend has a good sense of humour,' Adam said smiling too brightly. 'She just told me she was a witch.'

'Did she?' Chelsea said laughing heartily, while giving Emily a scathing look.

'I need to go to the bathroom,' Emily managed to say and quickly scampered out of the room.

As she was moving towards the bathroom, a tight grip stopped her from moving forward. She turned towards the source of the grip, and found Chelsea's burning eyes on her.

'What are you trying to do?' Chelsea spoke in an angry whisper.

'What do you mean?' Emily countered defensively.

'I take all my time to set you up with a nice guy. And the first thing you tell him is that you are a witch.'

'I didn't want to lie,' Emily said stubbornly.

'Really?' Chelsea said with her voice dripping with sarcasm. 'You are giving me that reason.'

'And don't try to keep setting me up,' Emily added.

'I will kill Albus Potter the next time I see him,' Chelsea said clenching her fists.

'This has nothing to do with him,' Emily denied. But she knew she was lying.

'Your present state is because of him!' Chelsea shouted. Emily was sure everyone in the next room heard her. 'That bastard leaves you without saying a word. And you continue to mourn him like a selfless widow.'

'I don't need to hear this again,' Emily said trying to turn away, but Chelsea increased the strength of her grip.

'You need to hear this until it gets through skull,' Chelsea said putting her forefinger on Emily' forehead. 'You need to move on!

Emily forced her arm out of Chelsea's grip and then quickly ran back to the main room. She picked up her jacket and purse from the couch and without even looking at anyone, walked out of the main door. She did not care if she had not given said her proper goodbyes to the people at the gathering, Chelsea would certainly give them a good reason, she had always been a great talker.

She walked down the stairs, thinking of the things Chelsea had just told her for the thousandth time. She knew that Albus was not going to return back to her, and it not that she wanted him back. Okay, a small part of her did want him back, but what she wanted most was closure; and that much he owed her. It had been more than three years since she had last seen him, three years of waking up every day, and thinking what she had done wrong. Al, as she had always called him, was the only one with the answer. He was the bane to her existence, the man she continued to love even now.

She stepped on the streets and was thinking about apparitating, then she decided not to. The state of her mind would probably interfere with her apparition and cause some problem. So she decided to walk until her emotions settled down. She began to walk down the pavements, wondering where Albus was at that moment. She imagined him lying in bed with an exotic woman in his arms, sharing fruits of passion which she once thought only belonged to her. She grew jealous of that woman, even though she was an imaginary one, she wanted to be in her place. It was foolish, but she still wanted him, just like the nature yearning for chaos.

'Leave me!' she heard a woman cry out.

She was not able to see what was not able to see clearly from her position, but from the silhouettes, she could figure a woman was being held by a couple of people. She quickly retrieved her wand from inside her bag. She was not going to overlook such a situation, these were things she hated about the world; a woman was not just a flesh of meat. She slowly approached the culprits, her plan was to first have a word with them, and if it failed she was willing to break a few wizarding laws.

There were two men, both had their backs turned towards her, so she could not see their faces. One of the men had a firm grip over the woman, who seemed to be constantly struggling to free herself. The woman, had dark auburn hair, and she seemed a bit familiar to Emily, but the woman's constant movements made it difficult for her to access her face.

'Please, get inside the car Lily,' the man holding the woman said.

Emily recognised the voice immediately. It was the voice that had teased and irritated her throughout her time in Hogwarts.

'Scorpius?' she said in surprise.

Scorpius turned around with an equally surprised look on his face. 'Em?'

'What are you doing?' Emily asked immediately after getting over her initial surprise.

'We are here to-'

Before Scorpius could complete his explanation, the woman he was holding escaped from his grasp and ran straight into Emily, the woman hugged her and began to cry uncontrollably.

'Hera,' the woman called Emily's middle name in a sobbing voice.

'Lily?' Emily managed to recognize her by the sound of her voice and her dark red hair.

'They were taking me away,' Lily cried burying her face in Emily's bosom.

If it had been any other person, she would have immediately thought they were forcing themselves on Lily, and without any delay hexed them to the next decade. But the Scorpius she knew was not that type of person, and more, Lily was his cousin after Daphne Greengrass became Lady Potter.

'What is going on Scorpius?' Emily questioned caressing a crying Lily.

'We were taking Lily back home,' Scorpius replied, but there was a hint of nervousness in his voice which made Emily suspect his answer.

'Why try to force her?'

'She was not willing to come with us,' the other man answered. Emily looked at him with scrutiny. She felt that she had seen him before, but could not put a name to his face.

'Em, meet Theodore Lupin,' Scorpius introduced the man. Emily frowned at the nickname.

'It's Teddy,' Lupin corrected shooting a glare at Scorpius.

'You are Lord Potter's godson if I'm not mistaken,' Emily said finally recognising him.

'Yes,' Lupin confirmed with a nod.

'Why are you two trying to force Lily?' Emily asked moving her hands protectively over Lily.

'We were not forcing-

'This is none of your business Miss,' Lupin said cutting off Scorpius' explanation.

'It is. She is my-,' Emily paused for a moment, she had nearly said, my boyfriend's sister. 'My friend.' That sounded correct, she told herself.

'I'm not going anywhere without Hera,' Lily finally spoke out.

'But Lily-,'

'No, Teddy. If you want me to return I want Hera with me,' Lily said before Lupin could say anything.

Lupin let out a long sigh and then said, 'Very well.'

'I will bring the car around,' Scorpius said with an excitement in his voice.

'Okay, but don't break anything this time,' Lupin warned throwing him the keys. Scorpius caught the key and with a bright face went running towards the opposite direction from where Emily came.

Emily then stared at Lupin, who began to look at the surrounding buildings. Neither seemed to have anything to say to one another. The only sound around them was that of passing cars and a faint whistling at a distance. She had seen him in Hogwarts before, but only a few times, and he looked different with dark hair, if he was still supporting his blue hair then there was a chance she might have recognised him.

'Hera it's been ages since I saw you,' Lily spoke breaking the awkward silence.

'Well, you have been in school and I have been busy,' Emily replied finally looking at Lily's face.

Lily had grown since she had last seen her, but her face still had that innocence one could only find in a child.

'Did you know Sev is in Venezuela?' Lily said in a childlike voice.

Emily felt a sharp pain when Lily referred his name, it was like an unhealed wound had just been scraped again. She wanted to ask if he had come for his mother's funeral but all she managed was, 'I didn't know that.'

'Say, do you play any music?' Lily asked suddenly.

'No. Why?' Emily was confused by her question.

'I feel like dancing,' Lily replied moving her body to a soundless rhythm.

Lily's actions confused her. She stared at Lily for a moment then turned to Lupin for answers.

'She is drunk on those illegal potions,' Lupin answered with a sigh.

Emily was astonished by the revelation. The sweet, innocent Lily Potter was high on potions. She thought she was in a dream, as she watched Lily continue her music less dance.

A car pulled beside them; Emily finally regained herself from the shock. She turned and saw Scorpious behind the wheel, which itself was shocking, but not as shocking as Lily on potions.

'Lily get in,' Lupin ordered, opening the door of the backseat.

'Not until Hera gets in,' Lily protested stomping her foot on the ground. Lupin turned to Emily for help.

'Come on Lily, we will get in together' Emily said grasping Lily by her shoulders.

'Wouldn't it be easier if we used a portkey,' Emily said ushering Lily inside the car.

'Can't do that,' Lupin dismissed her. 'It's dangerous to travel by magic with those under the influence of those potions.'

She entered the car, after learning something new. The car was an ordinary muggle car, but had been magically tampered with, Emily could figure from the interior. She stepped inside the car and heard the door being slammed shut. Lupin then got inside the front seat with Scorpius, who started the engine.

'Sev, Sev, Sev' Lily chanted lazily looking outside the window.

'Did he come for the funeral?' Emily finally asked.

'No,' Scorpius was the one who answered. Emily felt an obscure joy knowing that she had not missed his return.

'Wasn't he informed?' Emily asked masking her joy.

'All the letters we sent to him returned back' Scorpius replied.

'All my owls came back,' Lily said softly.

'The Wizarding community there is at war,' Lupin spoke. 'It is likely he is somewhere unreachable. Or in deep trouble.'

A sudden fear for his well-being cropped up within her, but she quickly dismissed it by telling herself that he was a competent wizard and could handle things.

'I think he is safe,' Scorpius said confidently. 'Because when he gets back I'm going to kill him myself.'

Emily realised she was not the only one who had been hurt when Albus had left so suddenly. Scorpius and others had been equally hurt as well. She looked at Lily; she was probably the one who was most hurt. Emily knew how close Lily had been to her brother, and him not returning for such a long time had to leave her in pain.

'I think he is safe as well,' Emily said but it was more like a prayer.

'He is,' Lily responded in a drowsy voice. 'My blood tells me he is well.'

Emily stared at Lily whose eyes were barely open. She did not know how much potions Lily had taken, but the way she was acting, Emily was sure she had taken more than a few vials.

'Take the right here- we will reach faster that way' Lupin said to Scorpius who immediately acted on it.

'Where are we going?' Emily asked them.

'To my aunt's place,' Scorpius replied as if that explained anything.

But Emily did not bother to ask further questions, thinking it was probably one of the Potter properties. The Potters owned lot of property, they were all scattered throughout the United Kingdom, after all Harry Potter was the Head of the Potter and Black house respectively, and Daphne Greengrass Potter was the Head of the Greengrass house. She was positive they had added more to their list of properties in recent times.

Emily turned to Lily and saw that she had fallen asleep. She sympathised with the poor girl, her mother had just died a few days ago, and her older brother was lost in a war-torn country. Although, she could not identify with the feelings Lily was going through, she could only imagine the emotional turmoil within her. A deep part of her wished she could share the same feelings as Lily when it came to her own brother. But Helios Winterbourne was a type of man who did not deserve such feelings, he was an animal, a power-hungry animal.

The rest of the journey was filled with complete silence. Emily had wanted to ask some things to Scorpius, but she feared the risk of waking up Lily who was curled up in the corner. The two men in the front seat seemed to share her fear as they too did not make any conversation with Emily or among themselves.

Scorpius parked the car in some muggle neighbourhood which confused Emily, if she remembered correctly he had told her they were going to his aunt's place, which was Daphne Greengrass Potter. She looked around the normal muggle neighbourhood through the window. Surely, the Director of the WEMAS, the Head of the Greengrass family, the leader of the pureblood faction, was not living in this plain, boring, muggle neighbourhood.

'We are here,' Scorpius announced getting out of the driver's seat. Lupin got down as well and opened the backseat door for Emily to exit.

'This is where Director Greengrass stays?' Emily asked incredulously.

'Yes,' Lupin replied, there was a little confusion in his face because of the manner she had asked the question.

Emily got down from her car, still shocked that Daphne Greengrass would have a home in such a place. Lily drinking illegal potions was a shock, but Daphne Greengrass living in a muggle neighbourhood was beyond astounding. If her father would hear of this, he would either send her to St. Mungo's for a mental check-up, or have a serious heart-attack. He was an ardent supporter of the old ways, and favoured Lady Greengrass- Potter very much. According to him she was a true pureblood, who had married Potter to save the Pureblood cause. Emily didn't agree with that, but her father's viewpoint was the only thing keeping her brother from doing anything against Director Greengrass.

Lupin easily picked up Lily and cradled her in his arms. He then closed the door of the car and began to walk up the stairs. Scorpius was starting to climb the stairs, but his motion was halted when Emily grabbed his jacket from behind.

'Why is the Director living in such a neighbourhood?' She said in a whisper.

'How should I know?' Scorpius replied a bit scared by her behaviour.

'Why would she choose such a place?'

'Maybe, she got it at a low cos,t' Scorpius offered dumbly, restarting to climb the stairs.

'Are you stupid?' Emily glared at him. 'She is Head of the Greengrass fortune.'

'Now you are sounding like my mother,' Scorpius said, as Lupin rang the doorbell.

Emily was about to retort when the door opened. She was half-expecting to see Director Greengrass to open the door, and was slightly disappointed and relieved at the same time to see a slightly plump, and older woman open the door.

'Mr Lupin thank goodness!' the woman exclaimed sounding very relieved. 'I was fearing the worst.'

'There is no need to worry Mrs Dawson, Lily is fine,' Lupin said entering the house.

'But with the things that are happening lately-,'

'Mrs Dawson could you please show the guest to the living room,' Lupin said cutting her off. 'I will come down after putting Lily to bed.'

Mrs Dawson looked a bit put off for not being given the opportunity to speak out her thoughts but she quickly got over it. She then turned to Scorpius and Emily and said, 'Come on you two, don't just stand there get in.'

'Hello, Mrs Dawson,' Scorpius greeted on entering the house.

'Good evening, Master Scorpius,' Mrs Dawson returned and then turned her eyes to Emily.

'This is my friend Emily,' Scorpius introduced.

'Good evening, Miss Emily,' Mrs Dawson said with a radiant smile.

'Good evening, Mrs Dawson,' Emily returned with a smile of her own.

'Master Scorpius could you be a dear and take Miss Emily to the living room while I prepare tea,' Mrs Dawson said sweetly.

'Of course,' Scorpius replied and began to lead Emily further inside the house.

The house was normal, excessively normal. It was like she had entered a very normal muggle home. The walls were coloured off-white, there were photographs which did not move, wall clocks which told only time, and above all things, muggle electronics. It was like she was entering a home which had never seen magic, let alone it being the house of _the Empress._

'What is this place?' Emily said as they entered the living room.

'My aunt's place,' Scorpius replied, giving her an "are you stupid look".

'I mean, why is it so- muggle?'

'You can't use magic inside this house,' Scorpius stated plainly.

'Why?'

'Some kind of ward Aunt made. It instantly injures the person using magic inside the house,' Scorpius replied laying down on the sofa.

'But why make it impossible to do magic? What is the point? How?' Emily asked dumbfounded.

'I dunno,' Scorpius said sheepishly.

'Haven't you asked?' Emily questioned. Her mind was still not able to grasp how a ward could dispel magic and its users. Magic cancelling magic; it sounded preposterous.

'Have you met her?' Scorpius said in a fearful tone. 'She can kill you with her eyes.'

Emily rolled her eyes at his description of Director Greengrass. Albus had always thought highly of his step-mother, she could always make out by the way he spoke of her. She had also had the opportunity to meet Director Greengrass a few times, and every time she had been very elegant and benign in her approach. Daphne Greengrass was smart, cultured, a woman who dictated power; and a woman Emily respected immensely.

But all of Emily's thoughts froze when she saw Daphne Greengrass enter the room.

'Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy!' Daphne shouted immediately on entering the room. Scorpius immediately jumped out of the sofa nearly losing his balance. 'How many times I have to remind you not to put your foot on the sofa.'

Emily tried her best not to laugh, but a light giggle escaped her, earning her a scowl from Scorpius.

'You are one of Tracey's assistants?' Daphne asked gazing at her with her icy blue eyes.

Emily was enormously glad that someone had actually recognised her for her, and not because of her family. She quickly stood up from her seat and curtsied. 'Yes, Director Greengrass. Emily Winterbourne'

'I'm not director at home. You can call me Daphne,' Daphne said coolly.

'Though it is an honour, it will be discourteous of me to call you by your given name,' Emily returned with a short bow. 'May I call you Lady Potter?'

'That is fine,' Daphne replied her blue eyes studying Emily. Emily felt nervous under her gaze, even her leg began to tremble lightly.

'Em, helped us with Lily,' Scorpius said quickly. Emily scowled, she could not believe he had called her by her nickname in front of Director Greengrass.

'Then I must fully apologise if my daughter caused you any inconvenience Miss Winterbourne,' Daphne said lowering her head.

'Not at all Lady Potter,' Emily said feeling embarrassed by Daphne's actions.

'But I must thank you in your assistance in bringing Lily home,' Daphne added. Emily was surprised by the lack of emotion Daphne was showing concerning Lily's incident, but that was a sign of being raised in a pureblood family, one learnt to mask their emotions.

'You don't have to do that Lady Potter. I have known Lily for a long time- she is a treasured friend,' Emily said her nervousness present in her voice.

'Then at least let me offer you some tea,' Daphne said motioning her to take her seat. Emily gave a nodded and sat down. Her nerves were getting to her, she pinched her thigh hard in order to keep her legs from trembling.

'So, how do you know each other?' Daphne asked Scorpius.

'We were in the same year at Hogwarts,' Scorpius answered.

'Then you must know my son Albus as well,' Daphne said turning towards Emily.

'They were-,' Scorpius stopped himself when he saw Emily glaring at him.

'They were?' Daphne arched her eyebrows at Scorpius.

'They were good friends,' Scorpius added nervously.

'Really? Albus has never mentioned your name,' Daphne said looking intently at Emily.

'He used to call her Hera,' Scorpius quickly added.

'So, you are Hera,' Daphne said the intensity of her gaze increasing.

'Aunt Daphne,' Lupin called hurriedly entering the living room.

Emily was thankful for Lupin's appearance, she was having great difficulty controlling her nervousness under Daphne's assessing gaze.

'What is going on?' Lupin asked immediately.

'I was just having a nice conversation with Miss Winterbourne and Scorpius,' Daphne replied plainly.

'No I meant Lily and Uncle Harry,' Lupin said in frustration.

'I don't know the reason for your Uncle's absence. He never tells me when or for where he is leaving,' Daphne stated in a mechanical tone. 'As for Lily, it is the ripples of your Uncle's decisions.'

'What do you mean?' Lupin asked looking at her in a confused manner.

'Lord Potter has designs for Britain, designs he is unwilling to share with us,' Daphne said in a bored voice. 'But it requires that he keep himself away from his family. That is why he didn't even show up at Ginevra's funeral.'

'What can be more important than family?' Lupin said incredulously.

'Merlin knows,' Daphne said uninterested.

'And you haven't said anything to him?' Scorpius was the one to speak.

'I haven't had the chance. He left Britain the day of Ginevra's death.'

'Mrs Potter, tea,' Mrs Dawson announced as she entered carrying a tray.

'I hope you are okay now Mrs Dawson,' Daphne said as she helped Mrs Dawson serve the tea. Emily was surprised by her actions, purebloods never helped their servants, and let alone muggle servants.

'I'm fine Mrs Potter, but young Lily running away gave me such a fright,' Mrs Dawson replied.

'She frightened us all Mrs Dawson,' Daphne added, but her words were emotionless.

'Such a young girl running away at night. And the things happening in the neighbourhood,' Mrs Dawson said shaking her head.

'What happened?' Daphne asked. Emily thought she heard a hint of alarm in Daphne's otherwise impassive voice, but a look at her calm face, made her think it was just her imagination.

'You know Gloria Paine who lived down the street,' Mrs Dawson said.

Daphne seemed to think for a moment, and then replied, 'Yes, the redheaded woman living next to Mr Wilkins.'

'Well, she and her husband Michael have been missing for more than a week.' Mrs Dawson said in trepidation.

'Mrs Dawson you suspect the tiniest things,' Daphne said lightly.

'But its true Mrs Potter,' Mrs Dawson said in a shrill voice. 'Mrs Broad says she saw a mysterious looking man lurking around their house a few days before their disappearance.'

'You are probably right, Mrs Dawson,' Daphne conceded. 'And Mrs Dawson please prepare something heavy. I've two hungry guests arriving very soon.' Daphne said changing the subject.

'Yes, Mrs Potter,' Mrs Dawson replied and left the room.

Guest at this hour, thought Emily.

'It is quite a coincidence that all of you should wound up here tonight,' Daphne said in a thoughtful tone.

'Why?' Lupin asked. But Emily was certain the she and Scorpius were about to ask the same question.

'My son is coming.'

'James?' Scorpius said a bit confused.

'No. Albus.'

Did she hear her correct? Did she say Albus was coming? What was she going to do when he came? Wasn't he supposed to be someplace unreachable? A whirlwind of questions flooded Emily's mind.

'How did you reach him?' Lupin said, clearly shocked by her proclamation like everyone else in the room.

'I didn't reach the position of Director with just my good looks, dear Teddy,' Daphne answered teasingly.

'Why come now?' Scorpius asked in an indignant voice.

Emily could not believe Scorpius would say that, he was supposed to Albus' best friend. He should be happy that he was coming, she certainly was.

'He would have come early but it seems he was injured,' Daphne replied.

Albus was injured? How? Was he okay now? Emily wanted to ask so many questions but it would have to wait, wait until she asked him directly.

'You had contact with him all this time and you didn't tell us anything,' Lupin said a little angrily.

'I didn't. I received his letter this morning,' Daphne countered easily.

'When does he arrive?' Scorpius asked anger evident in his voice. 'I have a few words to say to that wanker.'

'Language, my dear nephew. There are ladies present here,' Daphne chastised. Daphne then clutched one of the rings in her in fingers, and smiled brightly. 'He has arrived.'

Emily's heart began to pace rapidly. The excitement and the nervousness were killing her. She tried to control her excitement, she reminded herself about the things he had done to her, and her anger for him began to re-emerge. She then made up her mind, she would slap him the moment he entered the room; it didn't matter if all the others present were his family, she was going to make him feel a little bit of the pain he had made her suffer. Yes, she was going to hit him, and then cry a little.

'Mother.'

She nearly jumped when she heard his voice. Her hatred and anger completely vanished, as he entered the room. His black hair had grown longer but it was still untamed, and his green orbs still shone like emeralds. His skin had tanned a little, and his uncut beard suited him somehow.

Emily stood up. She wanted to touch him, smell him, feel him, kiss him, and cry in his arms, for leaving her. But her movements immediately stopped, when she saw her earlier imagination turn into reality, as an exotic woman walked inside the room behind him.

#

The Baron walked marched along the corridors of the Western Wing of the Castillos De Sangre, his red robes billowing behind him. Konan quietly followed the Baron, knowing that there was a very displeased face behind the Barons white mask.

The Baron stopped in front of a large door, he waved his hand and the door flew open. Inside, there was an exceptionally beautiful blonde haired woman laying down on a loveseat, drawing smoke from a hookah. Two fair looking maidens were standing by her side, one was holding a jar while the other was massaging her body.

'Lady Vela!' The Baron shouted. 'Your plan has totally failed!'

The woman slowly handed the tip of the pipe to one of the maidens and turned to face the Baron. 'If you keep shouting Lucas I will rip out that dying heart of yours.'

Konan had never in all his time with the Baron, had heard someone speak to him in such a manner. If the Baron had not told him about Lady Vela beforehand, he was certain he would have done something to try to teach her a lesson for her insolence.

The Baron had told him Lady Vela's power was incomparable, and the fact that she could not be killed, only made her invincible. Konan had remembered these words well, and was not foolish enough to test such a godly entity.

'My shrouds are dead and the talisman of Nux is lost in the forest,' The Baron said in a lowered voice, but Konan could sense the frustration in his voice.

'The Forest of La Neblina is like that. It takes away all your posessions and leaves nothing,' Lady Vela said in a low voice, as if she was remembering a memory.

'But the rebels survived!' The Baron cried out.

'So, what if a few of them survived,' Lady Vela said dismissively.

'They all survived.'

A brief look of surprise passed through Lady Vela's features, but it was quickly replaced by a menacing smile. 'So, they all survived.'

'How could they survive the Hungry Mist? It is supposed to destroy everything which possesses magic,' The Baron inquired.

Konan was eager to know an explanation as well. He knew the mist in the Forest of La Neblina devoured magic, everything from magical objects to magical beings nothing was safe inside the mist. Even the non-magicals, who had sentient magic residing inside them, were eventually devoured. The greater the magical the source the faster they were swallowed by the mist, so it was very unsafe to cast magic inside the forest.

'I have some theories but I am not sure,' Lady Vela trailed off staring thoughtfully into the vacant space.

'But all this puts us our plans at a back foot,' The Baron pointed out.

'You continue with your harvesting,' Lady Vela instructed. 'I will get you something that will help you end the rebels.'

'What?' The Baron said in a curious voice.

'The Tartarus.'

 **A/N: I write stories for my own pleasure...and hopefully yours. And the only way I can know you have enjoyed my story is through feedback. So, please review.**

 **P.S. English is not my first language, so please be free to point out my errors.**

 **P.S.S. This is my first story in this site; no flames please.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. J.K. Rowling is a god to have given us that world**.

Chapter 6.

Destruction greeted her vision, as she looked at the scene around her. A castle in front of her was falling apart, and there were hundreds of dead bodies lying on the ground. She did not know how she had done it, or how she had come there, but she knew she was the one responsible for this mayhem. And she was not feeling an ounce of pity; actually, she was pleased with what was there in front of her. She looked down at her arms; they were covered with strange, crimson coloured tattoos, which seemed to be alive.

The tattoos began to speak to her; they said her brother was across the field of corpses, waiting for her. Somehow she knew they were not lying, they were familiar to her, like old friends, from another lifetime. She slowly began to walk, carefully avoiding the cadavers, lest they soil her white robes.

Suddenly, the skies began to darken, she looked up and saw a saw dark rain clouds gathering in the sky. She began to run, she did not know why, but she feared the ominous looking clouds; they were her enemy. The lower part of her robes was painted red, from the splashing of the pools of blood that had formed on the ground. She ran as fast as she could, and all of a sudden she was inside a forest. She continued to run, wanting to go away as far as possible from the dark clouds.

When she thought she had run far enough, she stopped. She turned behind and to see the scene she had left behind. She could no longer see the gory landscape from before; she was now surrounded by dead looking trees. She looked up at the skies; there were no longer any dark clouds, only a greyish sky without any sun.

The tattoos began to speak to her again, they told her, her brother was somewhere inside the forest. She cried out her brother's name. She knew that the name she had called out was not his name, but somehow she was more familiar to it than his actual name. She waited for a moment for his reply, but there was nothing. She then began to move through the forest, calling out her brother. She did not have the faintest idea where she was going, everything looked the same everywhere, but she continued to move with a single thought in her mind, finding her brother.

As she continued her foray, she saw that a mist was starting to cover the forest. She began to worry; it had already been difficult navigating through the forest with the endless tree, the mist was going to make it even more difficult. She cried out her brother's name again, hoping he would hear her this time. The mist had grown thick, and she could only see the whiteness of the mist and the faint figures of the trees. Desperately, she began crying out his name. The fact that she was going to lose her brother inside the forest caused her immense despair. She was on the verge of tears, when a voice called out to her.

She listened to the voice, it was faint and feminine, it definitely did not belong to her brother, but it sounded very familiar. The voice began to draw near. Her tattoos seemed to grow excited on hearing that voice, and began whispering to one another. She could not make out what they were saying, but their excitement was very much evident in their voices. She asked them who the voiced belonged to, but they didn't seem to hear her, they were busy talking to each other. She was about to ask them again when she saw a shadowy shape of a person coming through the mist. At first she thought it was her brother, but as it came closer she realized it belonged to a woman. The whisperings of her tattoos suddenly stopped, as a naked woman whose body was completely smeared with blood began to approach. She could not clearly make out her face because of all the blood, but she had a peculiar set of eyes, one was blue and the other was green.

The blood-stained woman smiled at her. For some odd reason she was not scared of the woman; she felt secure in front of her, like a child would when they met their mother after getting lost. The woman moved towards her, she stopped when she was just inches from her face. The woman then conjured a peculiar looking dagger in her hand.

 _'_ _Carry our vengeance with you,'_ the blood-stained woman said to her and then plunged the dagger into Lily's stomach.

Lily's eyes shot open, and she found the poster of Michael Stevens smiling back at her. She quickly sat up from her bed and checked her surroundings; she was relieved to find herself inside her bedroom. She touched her stomach where she had been stabbed; there were no wounds or blood. Then she looked at her hands, there were no crimson tattoos. She pulled up her sleeves to check further up her arms, and was even more relieved to find nothing.

It was all a dream, she told herself. But it had felt so real. Her clothes were sticking to her body, drenched with perspiration; she needed a shower. She got down from her bed, picked up a towel, and entered her bathroom, which was attached to her room.

She took off clothes in a quick motion and tossed them in a corner. Then she turned on the shower and stood under the warm water, finally feeling a bit relaxed. She had had nightmares before, but she had never had a nightmare like that; it was too vivid. She still remembered every detail of the dream; except for the name she had called Sev, which felt a bit odd. She had never called him anything other than Sev or Al, the latter she had not used for years. So, why had she called him by a different name, and why couldn't she remember it?

She stepped out of the shower and tied a towel around her body. She came back to her room and picked out some clothes and quickly changed into them. She then decided to grab some breakfast. She started for the kitchen; her mind still occupied by the dream. As she climbed down the stairs she tried to remember what could trigger such a horrible nightmare.

As she was about to enter the kitchen she remembered what she had done the previous night. She thought about the trouble she had caused, and the things she had done under the influence of the _Hemlock Potion._ She felt extremely guilty for what she had done, though most of the things she remembered were fragments, they were still shameful. She readied herself to receive a cold treatment from her mother; she was even prepared to get scolded. It was better if Daphne scolded her and got it over with, it was far better than being on the receiving end of her cold behavior, which had no time limit.

Taking in a deep breath, she entered the kitchen.

'Good morning, Princess.'

She was so engrossed in her thoughts that she had not noticed the people inside. So she was briefly startled by a male voice calling her princess. She turned to the source of the voice and found the face of her brother smiling at her.

'Sev!' she screamed.

She lunged herself at him, engulfing him in her arms. Tears began to stream down her eyes, as she felt the familiar warmth of his body. All of her worries forgotten, nothing mattered anymore.

'Where were you?' she bawled into his arms. 'I was thinking the worst of things. Why didn't you answer my letters?'

He pulled her away from his body, she did not appreciate his action, but all her objections vanished when she found his emerald orbs gazing at her. The eyes which were twins to her own, the only thing she was grateful about receiving from her father. She looked back at him, meeting his gaze. Wordlessly, he apologized to her, and in one quick motion kissed the top of her head. His small action was enough to make her forget all her grievances, as she melted beneath his touch. Her magic began to resonate, as if her magic was entwining with his. She felt comfortable, composed and complete.

'What a heart-warming reunion!' Mrs Dawson exclaimed.

Lily had forgotten that there were other people in the world, Mrs Dawson's voice succeeded in reminding her of that disappointing reality. She reluctantly detached herself from Albus' arms and turned to the rest of the world.

She was surprised to find her mother absent from the kitchen, and was even more surprised to see a woman she had never seen before on their dining table.

'Who is she?' Lily asked staring at the woman.

'Lily meet my friend Anushka,' Albus said introducing the woman.

'Hello Lily, it's so nice to finally meet you,' Anushka said with a smile. 'Albus had said so many good things about you.'

'Hello,' Lily returned not removing her gaze from the woman.

Albus had called her a friend, and she knew he would never lie to her, but something told her that he was not revealing to her the entirety of their relationship. She was very curious, but refrained from asking further questions. If he thought he could not share the details then he had to have a good reason for it.

'Where is mother?' Lily asked instead. Daphne never missed breakfast with her, so it was strange to see her absent.

'She had an urgent call from her office,' Mrs Dawson answered. 'It must have been important- she didn't even finish her coffee.'

'It sucks to have a position of power,' Lily remarked sitting down on a chair next to Albus.

'And young lady you had us worried to the bone last night,' Mrs Dawson admonished her. Lily's forgotten guilt returned, and she lowered her head in shame. 'If Mister Lupin and Master Malfoy were not there you would have been in such big trouble.'

'Why what happened?' Albus asked.

'Your sister decided to run away from home and drink some illegal potions. I may be a squib, but I have seen a fair share of potions at work. You should have seen her condition when Mister Lupin brought her in.' Mrs Dawson began to make sniffling sounds. 'You have such a loving family. I don't know what got into you to do such a thing.'

If Lily was feeling guilty before, Mrs Dawson had not only managed to increase her guilt ten-fold, but had also added to the embarrassment she was already feeling before. She wished she could hide inside her cupboard and never see the light of day.

'So, that's why they were here yesterday,' Albus remarked.

'You met them!' Lily cried. The thought of others meeting him before her made her forget her embarrassment; she was overcome with a strange form of jealousy.

'Yes. Although Scorp was not happy to see me,' Albus said rubbing his hand over his jaw.

'Why what happened?' Lily asked.

'Master Scropius hit him,' Mrs Dawson said angrily. 'I know he was angry for Albus leaving, but to behave so rudely- that also immediately after his arrival.' Mrs Dawson then turned to stare at Anushka. 'Then she attacked Master Malfoy for no reason.'

'What?' Lily yelled looking at Anushka.

'I didn't know he was Albus' friend. I just took his offence as a threat to Albus' life,' Anushka said defensively. Albus smiled weakly.

'But still guests fighting inside the house is not a good sign,' Mrs Dawson added gruffly.

'Well everything was sorted out in the end,' Albus said.

'Yes, but I feel sorry for your lady friend, she had to witness such a sight on her first visit here,' Mrs Dawson said apologetically.

Lily assumed that Mrs Dawson was not speaking of Anushka. So there was another person who was present when Albus had arrived. 'Who else was there?' Lily asked.

'Emily.' Albus replied.

'Hera was here?' Lily was evidently surprised by the information.

'She was with Mister Lupin and Master Malfoy when they brought you,' Mrs Dawson provided.

Lily didn't remember anything about meeting Emily; she only had recollections of dancing with some man, Scorpius and Teddy pulling her out of a club, and a car nearly hitting her when she was running across the road. Now hearing about Emily being one of the people who had brought her made her realise she was missing a lot what had happened the previous, making her feel more miserable.

'You doing anything today?' Albus asked putting butter on his bread.

'No,' Lily replied, his question startling her a bit. 'Why?'

Albus sighed. 'I want to meet with James.'

Lily immediately understood what he was trying to say. 'I'm not going to be a mediator between you two. You both are grown up you should settle this like adults.'

'I don't think it will be settled until someone ends up in St. Mungos,' Albus countered.

'It's been two years already. I can't believe how arrogant you both are,' Lily huffed.

'Please.'

His emerald eyes pleaded with her. How could she say no to those eyes?

'Okay,' Lily replied falling to his pleas. 'But you have to promise me to pay me back later.'

'Your every request will be my command, Highness.' He did a dramatic bow.

Lily laughed at his actions. He was still the same; even with his uncut beard, longer hair, and hardened features; he was still her Sev. And for the first time in two years Lily enjoyed the feeling of being whole again.

#

James poured a cup of coffee and picked up _The Wizarding Times._ He was eager to find out what they had reported about the murder in _Knockturn Alley._ If only, he could go to the Auror office, then he would not have to be fishing the paper for information; Davis had surely told everyone not to allow him in. Shaking his head in defeat, he started reading the headlines:

 _A New Leader for the Pureblood Faction?_ He immediately understood the news from the headline. It was probably one of Helios Winterbourne's claims that Daphne Greengrass was not fit to lead the Pureblood faction. James sighed and looked down at the second news. _Harry Potter Absent from Wizengamot._ He chuckled reading the headline; his family had successfully managed to get into the front page of the newspaper, directly or indirectly.

'What is so funny?'

James lifted his eyes from the paper and looked at the tall, brown haired beauty in front of him; his fiancée Julia Muller. 'My family managed to make it to the front page, again,' he said amusedly.

'Another day with the Potter Family,' Julia joked, her hazel eyes smiling with her lips.

'It seems so.' James closed the paper and took off his glasses. 'I say the Times are getting bad as the Prophet.'

'You can't blame them. You are the first family of the Wizarding world,' Julia said, knowing it was going to annoy him.

'Please, don't say that,' James grimaced.

'Well, it is true,' Julia said buttering a toast. 'The whole Wizarding world seems to be looking at your family's every move. It is surprise they haven't called you first family yet.'

James cringed, 'That would be a catastrophe.' He could already imagine the headlines of the newspapers reading, _First Family of Wizarding Britain does this; First Family of Wizarding Britain go to that_.

Julia chuckled at his reaction. 'Maybe I should give some reporter that idea.'

'You can, but you will also be a member of that family, soon,' James countered with a grin. 'You can already read the headline: Julia Muller marries into First Family of Wizarding Britain.'

It was Julia's turn to cringe. 'That sounds awful,' she said creasing her brows.

'Well you still have a chance to get out,' James said teasingly.

'It is a tempting offer Mr Potter.' Julia quirked her eyes at him. 'But I think I understood that before I accepted your proposal.'

'So, you are willing to be first wife of the first son?'

'You better add only and remove the first before wife and then we have a deal.'

'That is quite a bargain you are asking Miss Muller,' James said with a grin.

'I'm willing to give you something equivalent.'

'And what that might be?' James said leaning back into his chair.

'Well,' Julia trailed off smiling mischievously. She stood up and came around the table, and hugged his frame from behind. 'I'm wearing nothing underneath,' she whispered into his ear.

James nearly fell from his chair, but quickly composed himself. 'You will be late.'

'Don't worry, Alyssa can handle a few hours without me,' she said in a sultry voice, her hands moving across his chest. 'Why don't we christen the kitchen table this morning?'

James had a hard time listening to his mind, when all his blood was flowing somewhere else. He felt her hands travel across his abdomen, slowly heading south.

'What if someone comes?' James managed to say.

'Shut up,' Julia said and crashed her lips onto his.

James hungrily kissed her back; all his previous thoughts lost somewhere. He broke the kiss, grabbed her by her hips and sat her down on the table. He resumed kissing her, as his hands began to explore her thighs. His hands travelled deeper until he found what he was searching for; she had not lied. At the same moment she too had reached her goal, causing him to gasp in pleasure.

'Someone is very pleased,' Julia said breaking their kiss.

James smiled. 'It's been a rough few days.'

Julia gripped him tighter, making him groan in anticipation. 'Maybe, I should give him a kiss.' Julia pushed him back and got down from the table. She gave him a short kiss and then began to descend down, slowly pulling down his trousers.

'James!' Lily's voice cried.

Julia immediately stopped her movements and stood up from her kneeling position. And James groaned in frustration; his sister had again managed to interrupt him again. She had done this countless times; ever since school. He started to wonder if she had put some kind of spell on him, so that she could disturb his time.

'James!' Lily's voice rang again.

Julia straightened her robes and said, 'I'll get the door.' She then glanced down at his nether region. 'I think it would be inappropriate to greet your sister in that state.'

James let out a sigh, pulling up his trousers. He wondered what Lily was doing here so early in the morning; she had practically ruined his. He heard a few voices, signaling that Lily had arrived with company. It was probably one of her friends who wanted to be an Auror, he recalled her mentioning one, he had promised to let them on a few pointers; he was regretting it now.

He picked up the paper and began focusing on the news, hoping that it would lower his arousal.

'Good morning Jamie,' he heard the melodious voice of his sister. He smiled and turned to greet his sister, but was angered to see who had come with her.

'What are you doing here?' James hissed angrily at Albus.

'I wanted to meet with you,' Albus said in a modest voice.

'I don't,' James returned, standing up as if to confront him.

'Come on boys we can play nice,' Lily said coming between him and Albus.

James glared at Lily. 'Why are you siding with him after all the things he has done?'

'I'm not siding with anyone,' Lily shot back.

'Then get him out of here!' James shouted turning his glare back to Albus.

'James, cool down,' Julia said grabbing his right hand. 'Whatever your problem is with one another- I'm sure it can be settled by talking.'

'He is the problem,' James snarled at Albus.

'I just want to talk James,' Albus said calmly.

'The last time you said that you ended up attacking dad,' James said violently shaking.

'You attacked dad?' Lily looked gob smacked.

'Things got out of hand,' Albus said in his defence.

'You let things happen that way!' James shouted.

'James calm down. Just listen to what he has to say,' Julia pleaded.

'I don't want to hear it,' James said stubbornly.

'Please, hear him out James for my sake,' Lily said, having come back from her shock. James looked at his sister, then at Julia. They both had imploring expressions, which James could not ignore.

'Okay, fine,' James said in defeat.

'Thank you,' Lily said happily. Julia also looked pleased with his decision

'Sit down, I suppose,' James said to Albus motioning him to a chair.

He was still angry with Albus, but he was also his elder brother. Albus had always been the erratic one, and over the years he had done many things which had not bided well with James. Sure, he too had caused problems, but they were harmless pranks which didn't hurt anyone. But Albus, with his cold and cruel way, caused damage which emotionally affected people. He did not care about the injustices if it brought him satisfaction. He was to some extent, vile.

But their father had taught him to forgive his siblings, and correct their mistakes. Even if their moralities didn't match; they were still family. He would certainly forgive Albus if he regretted and apologized for what he had done.

'Why are you standing there? Please come inside,' Julia said to woman standing near the entrance of the kitchen. James in his fury had failed to notice her, and was surprised to see her.

The woman was tall, and her features said she was not from nearby regions. She had a strong physique which added to her exotic beauty, and she had most curious looking yellow eyes.

'James, this is my companion Anushka,' Albus introduced the woman, who took a seat next to Albus.

'Hello, I'm James.' James held out his hand.

She did not take his hand but in return gave a short bow. 'Pleased, to meet with you.'

James was surprised by her actions, but quickly bowed in response. He figured that she was greeting him according to her customs. 'Pleased, to meet you as well.'

'Would you all like to have something?' Julia offered.

'No, we just had breakfast. But thanks for asking,' Lily replied with a smile.

'So, what do you have to say?' James asked without wasting any more time.

'I want to apologize to you,' Albus said honestly.

'Have you apologized to dad?'

Albus didn't answer.

'Then it is pointless coming to me,' James said coldly.

'James, at least let him complete what he has to say,' Julia appealed.

'If he has not apologized to dad then I have nothing to hear from him,' James said staring at Albus.

'Why are you being so unreasonable James?' Lily said in a disgruntled tone.

'You are telling me I being unreasonable,' James said with sarcastic laugh. 'Look at him- he is the one being unreasonable.'

'James I know your anger is justified, but if you give him a chance to explain himself,' Lily trailed off turning to Albus, who was staring a hole at the table.

'Okay, let us hear your defence,' James said impatiently tapping the surface of the table with his forefinger.

Albus said nothing.

'If you want to brood then I suggest you leave,' James said irritated with Albus' silence.

'James!' Julia reproached.

'What?' he shouted angrily.

'Please, calm down,' Julia requested.

James looked at Julia, her eyes were begging him. He sighed and turned back to Albus. 'What made you attack dad?' He controlled his voice to sound as calm as possible.

Albus continued to remain silent.

'If you can't tell me that- then I think our conversation is finished,' James said and stood up from his chair.

'Sev, tell him.' Lily nudged Albus, who continued his silence.

'You can stay but I'm leaving,' James said and walked out of the kitchen. He heard Julia and Lily calling after him, but he ignored them. He had looked many of Albus' mistakes in the past, but this time he was not going to let him off easily, it was time Albus grew up.

#

Ernie McMillian walked down the deserted streets of Hogmesade. It was already nearly two in the morning, and he still had to go home after meeting his informer. He never knew why William had asked to meet him at such an ungodly hour; he would not have come, if he had not mentioned something about Harry Potter in his letter.

He respected Potter; there was no doubt about it. He had supported him during the Second War with Voldemort, he had supported him when he and Granger had brought their reforms to the wizarding world. One could even

Aldrich Tyndall's term as Minister of Magic was coming to an end, and there was a great possibility for Potter to become the next Minister. There was no one to oppose him, the only closest person that could match his support inside the Wizengamot was Daphne Greengrass, and she was his wife. He thought it was extremely clever of Potter to marry the Greengrass heiress; not only was his fiercest competitor his ally, but the extremist purebloods supporting Greengrass were also with him. It did not matter what Helios Winterbourne said to the media, Ernie knew the pureblood faction would never forsake Greengrass, she was too powerful and too much in control.

But what worried him were the rumors surrounding Potter. He didn't believe all the dark lord bullshit some people said about him, but his disappearances were a matter of concern. Potter had missed two Wizengamot's sessions in a row, an unlikely thing for a person who did not hold any office. Another matter of concern was the Potter family not staying in the same house. Initially, he had not believed it, but after the evidences shown to him, he was truly shocked. Daphne Greengrass lived in some muggle neighbourhood with the children, while Potter lived in the Black Family home. He did not know why they were living in different homes, when he had mentioned it to a few of his aids, they had said there could be fallout between husband and wife, and they were only keeping their marriage just for show. But that would be unlike Daphne Greengrass, _the Empress_ was too clever to agree to a stunt like that. So the only other option was, Potter was doing something in hiding, and the last time he had done something like that, a lot of people had ended up dead. He had nothing against Potter, but the thought of him divulging in something dangerous was a threat to all of wizarding Britain, and he was not going to let him come into power, if that was the case.

A black cat suddenly appeared in front of him, startling him a bit. He had never walked through Hogmesade at the dead of the night, and wished he never had to again; it was chilling. He approved his choice for buying a _hand of glory,_ it was being a great help for him. He continued to walk as he approached the edge of the village; William had told him that he would meet him there. He reached the spot, but William had still not come. William in his letter had written that he was being followed, he had given much thought to it at that time, as he was busy thinking about Potter's secret. He wished he had not destroyed the letter and brought it with him.

'A hand of glory,' a female voice said from behind him.

He quickly took out his wand and turned around only to find air. 'Show yourself,' he hissed dangerously.

A woman stepped out from the night shadows. She was covered everywhere except for her eyes, which were cold and fearless.

'Where is William?' he asked pointing his wand.

'Dead,' the woman replied casually.

'Stupfey,' he shot her with the stunner.

She didn't attempt to move and the spell caught her square on the chest, sending her body to fall down on the ground, like a log. He stood above her stunned body still pointing his wand at her. He wondered what the woman was trying to do revealing herself. Either she was an amateur or her intention was not to kill him. He would have to ask that later when he interrogated her. Just to be safe he put a binding spell on her and lowered his wand. He then moved his hands to uncover her face, at that very moment he felt a tip of the wand on his back.

'Who are you?' he asked lifting his hands.

'The woman lying down in front of you,' the woman's voice replied.

The voice was exactly the same, but how was it possible. Then it occurred to him; polyjuice potion. But why go to such lengths. It seemed all pointless.

'Why go to such lengths to capture me?' he asked without facing her.

'I have done nothing,' the woman said with a giggle.

'The why polyjuice yourself?' he said turning to her.

'I have done no such thing,' the woman laughed.

Seeing an opening Ernie drew his wand and pointed at her. 'Now, tell me what do you want from me?'

'I just want to give you a tattoo,' the woman said.

He had heard enough of her and he yelled, 'Bombarda.'

Nothing happened.

'Stupefy.'

Again nothing.

'What have you done to me?' he hissed.

'Nothing till now,' the woman said.

Suddenly, Ernie found himself unable to move. The woman then ripped off the top of his robes with her fingers, shocking him. He had never witnessed such strength from anyone before. The woman then drew a black dagger and began to carve on his chest. The pain was excruciating, making him cry out. The woman continued to carve despite his cries. He wished that the villagers would hear his cries and come to his aid.

'There,' the woman said admiring her work. Ernie could not see what she had made because of his frozen state, but was thankful that the agony had ended.

'Are you going to kill me now?' he asked, panting after the ordeal.

'You died when you met my cat Mister McMillian,' the woman replied.

The figure of the woman began to fade, along with the scene surrounding him. He was back in the centre of the town, the cat from before, staring at him, its eyes glowing in the dark. Then his body crumpled to the ground.

A few hours later the villagers would find the lifeless body of Ernie McMillian in the center of the town. The Aurors would be called and they would find a familiar mark of a sword plunged through a skull on his chest.

 **A/N: Thanks to Bilgamesh Aetemus FieryDietyLinkMask for your positive reviews. Hope you continue to like the story.**

 **A/N: I write stories for my own pleasure...and hopefully yours. The only way I can know if you enjoyed my work is through your feedback.**

 **P.S. English is not my first language, so please free to correct my errors.**

 **P.S.S And this is my first story in this site so please no flames**.


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. J.K. Rowling is a god to have given us that world**.

Chapter 7.

'Accio, cup!' Albus yelled, aiming his wand at a cup on the far side of the room.

Normally, the cup would come flying across the room into his hand, which was how the summoning charm was supposed to work. But the cup hadn't even budged from its place, causing his frustration to rise.

Albus jerked his wand arm, as if it would help his magic flow, and re-aimed at the cup and shouted, 'Accio, cup!'

The result was the same.

'Why aren't you able to cast spells?' Anushka asked. She was sitting on a chair opposite of him, with a worried look on her face.

'I don't know,' Albus trailed off looking at the apple phoenix wand in his hand.

Albus really did not know what was happening to his magic. It had started immediately after he had woken up from his comatose state, after their battle in the Forest of La Neblina. At first he had thought it was the after effects of magic depletion, and it would return to normality after sometime. But it had only gotten worse. Now, he was having problems performing the simplest spells. He could not even feel the warmth of magic radiating from his wand, it was like a dead stick in his hand.

There was another startling discovery he had made while meditating to clear the flow of his magic; his magic had become very weak. In the past when he had done the same exercise and his magic at that time had appeared to be ample and constant, like a flowing stream. But now it looked like a thin bundle of very rigid and motionless strings.

'Maybe something is wrong with your wand?' Ansuhka supplied.

'It can be-but,' Albus trailed off again continuing to stare at his wand.

'If your magic does not comeback, then it will be difficult for us to join the revolution,' Anushka said, her yellow eyes looking at him intently.

'My magic will be fine,' Albus responded lightly. 'I just need to focus a little more.' He then pointed his wand at the coffee table between him and Anushka, and shouted, 'Wigardium Leviosa.'

Nothing.

'Why don't we go visit the monks in Nepal?' Anushka offered. 'They may know what is wrong with you.'

'It will take too much time. We need to get there as quick as possible,' Albus said effectively.

He had come back to England respecting his mother's summons. He had met his family, and everyone that he needed to meet. The only thing remaining now was the reason why his mother had actually summoned him. He had a strong belief that she had summoned him for something more than just a family matter, and he needed to finish that task before he could return back to Venezuela. He had promised Matias that he would be back, and it did not matter to him if it was with or without magic.

'But I think it is unwise of you to join the fight in your condition,' Anushka said in a concerned voice.

'Don't you want to help Matias, Angela, Luciana- the people are suffering there,' Albus said indignantly.

Albus sincerely wanted to join his comrades in their fight against the Baron. He believed in their cause and understood why they were fighting. Their freedom had been taken away, and their loved ones were all unsafe. Albus knew it was not necessary for him to join their war after helping them for the last six months, but he still wanted to go. It was not because he wanted to be a sacrificing hero, or wanted to show his father that he could fight a war too, it was simply for his own gratification. He understood that it was selfish of him to think that way, but it was the truth.

'I don't care for them, or their cause. But if you want to join them, then I have no qualms in following you.'

'Is this because of our bond?' Albus said bitterly. 'If it is, then I suggest that you don't come with me.'

'You misunderstand our bond Albus. It does not force me to follow all of your commands- I follow you because of my own choice. I'll repeat what I have said before: Whatever is your ideal, it is also mine. Your war is my war. If you are a slayer then I'm the blade that slays.'

Albus looked at her, her yellow eyes staring back at him. It was like a deja'vu of what had happened when she was bonded to him for the first time. She had said the same things at that time, and he had been wordless then as he was now.

Their eye contact was broken when the fireplace suddenly erupted in green flames, and the figure of Lily Potter stepped out of it.

'I knew you were here,' Lily said with a knowing smile. 'Why didn't you tell me coming here?'

'I thought you were going to be busy with your paperwork,' Albus replied. It wasn't completely a lie, but he also didn't want Lily to find out about his problems with his magic.

'You could have at least told me' Lily pouted. 'What are you doing here anyway?'

'I was practicing my magic,' Albus answered.

'Why come to Greengrass Manor just to do that?' Lily asked suspiciously.

'Well, I can't practice in the house because of that ward- how did she invent an anti-magic ward anyway?'

'Something to do with reversing Nagamoto's principle, and something to do with Deply's findings- and Sumerian and Chinese symbols,' Lily paused momentarily. She looked like she was thinking if she missed something then continued, 'Then she said something about Morana.'

'You mean Morgana?' Albus corrected.

'No, no,' Lily replied shaking her head. 'It was Morana.'

'Never heard of her.' Albus shrugged.

'Neither have I,' Lily added.

'She is a goddess of death,' Anushka spoke.

'A goddess of death?' Albus was surprised by the information.

'Yes, a traveller from the north once told me about her,' Anushka said in a reminiscent tone.

'I think someone was named after that goddess. And mother used her principles in creating the ward,' Lily indicated.

Lily's thoughts made more sense to him. After all, using magic of mythical gods that was quite a farfetched idea. But the name Morana seemed familiar to him, it reminded him of someone he knew, but could not pin point who.

'And you have not answered my earlier question,' Lily said in an irritated voice.

'What question?'

'Why did you come here of all places?' she said eying Anushka suspiciously.

'I asked mother to find me a place to practice magic. And she knew I was not going back to Grimmauld Place,' Albus answered. He was never going to enter his father's residence as long as he was alive. That place was a constant reminder of how heartless and ambitious his father really was. 'So, she keyed me to Greengrass Manor.'

'Why would she do that?' Lily muttered.

'What?'

'Nothing,' Lily replied quickly.

'So, what are you doing here?' Albus asked her.

'I came to see whether you are free or not,' Lily said moving her eyes around the room they were in.

'Why did you need something?'

'This place has significantly worn down hasn't it,' Lily said not answering his question.

'Well, mother hates this place.'

'I wonder why?' Lily said thoughtfully.

'She must have terrible memories,' Albus replied, thinking of his own loathing for Grimmauld place.

'Then why not sell it. The place is still in a good shape. It can fetch a few galleons,' Lily said moving around the room and inspecting the various objects.

Albus shrugged. 'She probably has her own reasons. And what did you need so urgent that you interrupted my practice?'

'You don't even have time for me now-a-days,' Lily complained. 'I just wanted to spend some time with you.'

Albus sighed. He knew that Lily was going to have her way in the end. He could never say no to her, and she knew that as well. So, he conceded before wasting time in an unwinnable argument.

'What do you want to do?' he asked.

'I want you to come with me to Diagon Alley. I have to buy a few things,' Lily said her green eyes beaming with happiness.

'All right,' Albus said with a nod. 'I have to visit Ollivander's as well.'

'Why?'

'I think I need to change my wand,' Albus replied looking at the wand in his hand. 'It is not working the way it should.'

'Why? I mean how?' Lily said looking upset.

Albus immediately understood Lily's reason for being upset. His apple phoenix wand had a brother wand, and it belonged to Lily. She had always prided over the fact that their wands were related just like themselves. When Ollivander had first told her that the wand which had chosen her was the brother of his wand, she had been over the moon. She had told everyone who would listen to her about the relation between their wands. She thought that it was the most wonderful thing in the world. To her it meant they were closer than any other brother and sister in the world.

'I don't know. I think the wand is the problem but it could be something else,' Albus replied.

'You probably damaged it using all the different types of magic,' Lily said trying not to sound upset. 'I think old Ollivander can fix it up in no time.'

'I hope so,' Albus said tightening his grip around the cold wood in his hand.

#

Albus was exhausted from being dragged from one store to the other. He could not understand why women needed to examine so many things, go through so many shops, just to say they had liked the thing they had seen the first time around. He had lost count of how many stores they had gotten into and how many hours they had spent inside, just looking at things. Actually, it was Lily, who had done all the looking, he and Anushka had just watched on, like a pair of inferi. At one point of time he had asked her if he could go to Ollivander's, while she shopped, but he was met with another one of her blackmailing lines and her puppy dog eyes. Albus was a slave to her words, she could tell him to murder someone and he would do it happily. He didn't know why, but Lily seemed to be more important to him than the entire world.

Lily pulled his arm as she led him inside another store. He wished that she would end his torture; even Emily had never been so selective. As he thought about Emily, he remembered her being there in their house when he had arrived. He hadn't had the opportunity to talk with her because of Scorpius and Anushka's actions. He really wanted to talk with Emily, he wanted to apologise for the injustice he had done to her and their relationship. He at least owed her that much.

'Hello, Lily,' a familiar voice called distracting Albus from his thoughts. He turned his eyes and saw Julia behind the counter.

'Hello, Julia,' Lily returned smiling brightly.

'Hello, Albus. Anushka,' Julia said waving at them.

'Hello, Julia,' Albus returned with a short bow. Anushka repeated his actions.

'So, what brings you to my shop of curiosity?' Julia asked with a friendly smile.

'I just wanted to show Albus your shop,' Lily replied. 'And I wanted to look around myself.'

'Thank you for coming. And I'm so sorry for James' behaviour the other day,' Julia said apologetically.

'There is no need for you to apologise,' Albus said embarrassedly.

James held their father in high regard, and Albus respected that. But he had not seen the other side of their father's face. Even if he told James the reason for his altercation with their father, he was sure he was not going to believe him. So, it was better if they kept their thinking to themselves and carry on with their own lives.

'But I'm terribly ashamed by the way James treated you.'

'I was also at fault at that moment. We are brothers after all, we will work it out in the end,' Albus admitted. He knew it was a lie, but he had to sound positive.

'I hope you do. I intend on you being his best man on our wedding,' Julia said with a beaming smile. Albus deadpanned. 'And I do have some pretty friends who might be interested in a handsome man like yourself. Or are you already taken?' Julia glanced at Anushka who was looking around the shop.

'No we are-'

'Can I look at those earrings?' Lily interrupted, pointing at the glass cabinet behind Julia.

'Certainly,' Julia replied opening the cabinet and taking out a bunch of different looking earrings and placing it on the counter.

'This looks nice. And this one too,' Lily said examining the various earrings.

Albus seeing that Lily was busy making her examinations moved his eyes around the shop. The shop was full of various objects ranging from different types of jewellery, statues, carpets, mirrors, precious stones, cloaks and weird looking paintings. But they all had one thing in common, they all looked highly expensive.

'See anything interesting?' Julia asked looking at him.

'You have a lot of things here. Where did you get them?'

'Well, I was homeschooled as my father travelled a lot. And my sister and I travelled with him. During that time I found a lot of unique things in the various places we stayed. I learned their art and began recreating them. Every place has their own magic and their own culture. I wanted to share that culture when I decided to set my shop here.'

'You make all of this yourself?' Albus was clearly surprised.

'The ornaments and statues are my work. The fabric work is done by my partner Alyssa. The other items like those mirrors and paintings,' she said pointing at the mirrors and paintings. 'My sister brings them. She travels a lot, so she gets me a lot of unique stuff for my shop.'

'What are the paintings for?' Albus asked looking at the paintings. 'I have seen some of them before and they are not just for decoration.'

'You are correct,' Julia answered. 'They can be used for some rites and rituals as well. But very few people know it, so they just buy it as a decoration piece.'

'Is it legal to sell these in Diagon Alley?'

The wizarding community in Britain still frowned upon some practices which did not match their standard. Although, one did not end up in Azkaban as they used to, but the use of unfamiliar magic was still considered dark. So, it was surprising that Julia was selling such stuff right under the Ministry's noses.

'Daphne helped a lot with that,' Julia said with a sly smile.

'Figures,' Albus said with a shrug. His mother always did support unconventional magical practices.

'Look at this Albus,' Anushka said in an excited voice. It was something which he had not heard in her voice for a while. He turned to her and saw that she was holding a black cloak.

'What is that?' he asked.

'It is a cloak which protects you from magic,' Anushka said bringing the cloak to him.

He touched the material of the cloth, it felt like dragon hide, but a little bit smoother. 'It's just a dragon hide cloak.'

'Not just,' Julia interjected.

'Not?'

'It is made from a dragon's hide but not any dragon,' Julia said with specificity.

'Which dragon?' Albus asked, Julia's tone had raised his curiosity.

'A Twin Headed Dragon.'

'Now you are acting like a true seller. Even I know a twin headed dragon does not exist,' Albus said not believing her.

'They do.' Anushka was the one to speak. 'I've seen two of them in my lifetime. They are very rare.'

'Nearly extinct,' Julia added.

'How did you get something, this rare?' Albus asked still not completely sold on the cloak.

'Trade's secret,' Julia answered with a wink.

Albus looked at her; she had a playful grin on her face. He could now understand why James had fallen for her.

At that moment two more customers entered the shop, and Julia excused herself to attend them.

'We need to buy this Albus,' Anushka said with excitement in her voice. 'Twin headed dragons are extremely magic resistant. Most curses will be useless against it.'

Albus ran his fingers across the fabric and thought for a moment before asking, 'Julia how much for this?'

'One hundred and seventy galleons,' Julia replied. Albus knew she was naming a low price considering the rarity of the item.

'You are buying that?' Lily who had been giving side-glances at them finally spoke.

'Yes,' Albus replied.

'Okay,' Lily said in a huff.

Albus was confused by her reaction but didn't say anything. He then turned to Julia and asked, 'How many of these have you got?'

'Just two.'

'I'll take them both,' Albus said reaching inside his pouch and retrieving the necessary amount of gold. He turned and saw Lily was looking at him with a sour expression, which confused him. 'What?'

'Pay for these too,' Lily ordered in a harsh tone, handing him a pair of earrings.

Lily's sudden mood change confused him even more; he didn't know what he had done to upset her. He continued to look at Lily, who apparently was not meeting his gaze, as he paid for the items.

'Thank you,' Julia said with a smile, shrinking the package with the wave of her wand.

'Thanks, Julia,' Lily said picking up the shrunk package and putting it inside her jacket. 'I'll drop by your apartment one of these days.'

'You're always welcome,' Julia said to Lily and then turned to Albus. 'You too.'

'Thanks,' Albus said waving her goodbye.

They exited the shop and stood outside. The sun was going down and the sky was turning dark. The streets were illuminated by the light coming out of the windows of the various shops, as the crowd continued to move in its own pace.

Albus noticed a small child gaping through the shop window, at the newest model of the Nimbus series. It reminded him of his childhood, when he and James would plead with their father to get them the newest model. It was a fun time, a time when everything was normal and easy. But normal and easy are only a brief part of life, the rest is filled with struggle, pain, hurt and partings. But he was happy he remembered those moments, his innocent days when reality was just a small bubble.

'What are you thinking?' Lily asked.

'Just reminiscing about some things,' Albus replied truthfully.

'We should go get your wand checked,' Lily said.

'Are you sure you finished your shopping?' Albus said sarcastically.

'Yes, big brother,' Lily said with a smile.

She put her arm around his and leaned her head on his side. A gentle fragrance of green apples and burning pine entered his nostrils, as he felt an unusual sensation from within. Throughout the day he had forgotten this feeling, but it had suddenly come rushing back; it felt like heaven. It was like finding the shore after getting lost in the sea for a long time; a feeling of being complete. He did not know why he felt this way with her; she was his sister after all. This type of feeling was not right, or was it? Did every brother feel this way about their sister? Did James feel the same thing he was feeling when he held Lily? It was all confusing, but it felt good.

Slowly, they made their way towards Ollivander's shop. They must have looked like lovers, but it didn't matter to him. The rest of the world was forgotten, nothing else mattered any longer.

They entered the shop and saw Gerald Ollivander standing behind the counter.

'Good evening, Mr Pott-

Before Ollivander could complete what he was saying, Anushka jumped in front of Albus and Ollivander with a blade firmly clutched in her hand.

'Albus careful, he is an Asura,' Anushka snarled, holding the blade in an offensive manner. Lily grabbed his arms tightly, her face a mixture of fear and shock.

Albus was shocked himself. He had no idea what an Asura was, but he had never seen Anushka act so offensive. Her yellow eyes were glowing viciously, and they wanted to kill.

'How wonderful of you, Mr Potter to bring a Huntress inside my shop,' Ollivander said amusedly. 'It's been ages since I saw one.'

'What are you doing in this world Asura?' Anushka spat.

'I'm just a humble trader of wands Huntress,' Ollivander replied calmly.

'Anushka, step back,' Albus ordered. 'He is just a wand-maker.'

'But he is an Asura,' Anushka growled.

'I assure you Huntress I mean harm to none,' Ollivander said raising his hands. 'As long, as they let me do my job.'

'Anushka! Draw back,' Albus hissed the last part.

Anushka continued to stare at Ollivander, but she slowly withdrew her blade.

'Thank you, Mr Potter,' Ollivander said pulling his hands down.

'Why is she calling you an Asura?' Albus asked instead.

'Because I'm one Mr Potter,' Ollivander replied simply. 'To be precise I'm a demi-human, like her,' he said pointing at Anushka. 'Our kind and her kind have been at war for time immemorial.'

'We fight because you contaminate the purity of this realm,' Anushka retorted.

'And other beings don't?' Ollivander countered.

'Don't tempt me Asura,' Anushka hissed. 'I'll not hesitate to remove your head and send you to the pits of hell.'

'Anushka!' Albus reprimanded. Anushka continued to give Ollivander a killing glare, but did not say anything further. He then turned to Ollivander. 'So, what kind of demi-human are you?'

'We are a race which feeds on the life force of other living beings. One could say we are parasites of magic,' Ollivander explained.

'Parasites?'

'They kill other beings and feed on their energies,' Anushka said angrily.

'You kill?' it was Lily who asked the question.

'Yes, Miss Potter,' Ollivander replied.

'Humans, animals?' Lily said in a terrified voice.

'Humans and animals are not the only living beings Miss Potter,' Ollivander countered.

'Then what do you feed on?' Lily asked gripping tightly to Albus' arm.

'You feed on the trees that make your wands,' Albus said realizing at that moment.

'You are correct Mr Potter,' Ollivander applauded. 'Most of the wand-makers in the world are beings of my race. You see our ability is not only draining life, but we can release innate magic inside inanimate objects.'

'So, that is how you can make wands,' Albus said in understanding.

Albus had always thought that something was suspicious about the Ollivanders. He had met Garrick Ollivander when he had come to buy his wand, and he had seemed extremely strange to Albus. Then when they had come to purchase Lily's wand, Garrick Ollivander had disappeared and his nephew- who no one knew about- had taken his place. But he too had the same mysterious air around him. It all made sense now, they were demi-humans.

'Yes, Mr Potter. And since my personal history is will remain a secret?' Albus and Lily nodded in unison. 'So, tell me how can I assist you this evening?'

'My wand is not working for me,' Albus said, ignoring Anushka's killing gaze directed towards Ollivander.

'It happens sometimes when wizards mature. Their wands stop functioning like they used to,' Ollivander replied easily.

'Mine has stopped working completely.'

Ollivander arched his eyebrows, as if he had heard something blasphemous.

'Your wand,' Ollivander said stretching his hand. Albus handed him the wand. Ollivander took it in both of his hands, cradling it as if it were very fragile. 'This was my uncle, Garrick Ollivander's creation. Apple wood with phoenix feather, twelve and three-quarters inches, brittle flexibility. This is a very unique wood- a very powerful and ambitious wand.' He then gave it a swish and immediately his face turned pale. He then turned to Albus, he looked like he had just seen death. 'Mr Potter, what have you been doing?'

'What do you mean?' Albus asked puzzled.

'Your wand has completely lost its magic,' Ollivander said in a whisper.

'What do you mean by lost its magic?' Lily was the one who spoke.

'What I mean to say Miss Potter is that your brother's wand is no longer of any use. It is just a dead wood, with a phoenix feather stuffed inside.'

'But how can a wand lose its magic?' Lily said incredulously.

'For that we have to ask your brother,' Ollivander said motioning at Albus. Lily turned to Albus, looking at him for some sort of explanation. But he didn't have any.

'I'm sorry to have troubled you Mr Ollivander,' Albus said snatching the wand from the man's hand.

Albus recalled the forest, and the missing events from his memories. Did that have to do with him losing his magic? Albus was no sure, but he didn't like Ollivander's speculating eyes on him.

'Have you been exposed or practiced any form of void magic?' Ollivander asked suspiciously.

'How dare you say that?' Anushka roared dangerously.

'I was just checking,' Ollivander said defensively.

'It is unforgiveable to even think of such a thing,' Anushka shot back. 'Albus does not need such magic- no one needs such magic.'

Albus had no idea what void magic was, he had never even heard that term before.

'What is void magic?' Lily asked.

'It is better if you don't know Miss Potter,' Ollivander said darkly.

'Let us leave this place Albus,' Anushka said pulling him towards the exit. 'He will not cure you of your ailment.'

Anushka dragged him outside the shop, and would have kept on dragging him had he not told her to stop.

'What is wrong with you Anushka? You are acting weird,' Albus said unleashing his arm from her grasp.

'You should stay away from this Asura,' Anushka warned.

'You don't have to worry about him. He has done nothing that has caused harm till now,' Albus reassured.

'But he spoke of forbidden powers,' Anushka said concerned.

'What is this power anyway? Is it dark?' Lily asked having caught up with them.

'It better to not know of this power- it is taboo,'Anushka said rapidly.

'Anushka what is this power?' Albus asked.

'The one who uses this power is damned. He will lose his soul,' Anushka said in a serious voice. 'But it is so powerful that it can slay a god.'

 **A/N: I write stories for my own pleasure...and hopefully yours. The only way I can know if you enjoyed my work is through your feedback.**

 **P.S. English is not my first language, so please free to correct my errors.**

 **P.S.S And this is my first story in this site so please no flames**.


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. J.K. Rowling is a god to have given us that world**.

Chapter 8.

The light from the dying sun was being replaced by man-made light, which brightened the pavements and the streets. The typical city noise of moving and honking vehicles filled the air. As people walking on the pavements didn't even remember the face of the person they had passed only a moment ago. All of them were busy in their own thoughts or were busy talking over the phone. Even the local residents of the area who were just trying to get a glimpse of what their neighbours were doing didn't seem to notice anything unusual. So no one noticed when one Harry Potter disappeared between 11 and 13 Grimmauld Place.

This was what Harry Potter loved about muggle community. He was no one here, just an ordinary face in the crowd. He walked in swift steps and opened the door. The house was dark and gloomy, like it always had been, and Harry had learned to like it that way. When Sirius had died he had thought that he would never enter 12 Grimmauld Place again, let alone live there. But here he was inside the Black family house, former headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix, and his sanctuary for the last ten years.

He walked along the familiar darkened corridor, as he felt the magic of the house welcoming him. He had to agree that the Blacks really knew about their magic, the things he had discovered in their family grimoires had been very helpful in what he was doing.

All his plans were finally falling into place. He had been preparing for nine years, nine years of research and planning, sacrificing his family and friends, just for a chance to destroy those who called themselves gods. He wanted nothing more than to see them fall. The war he had fought against Voldemort had been about survival, everything he got aftewards was a consolation. But the war he was about to start was not about his survival, nor was it for the light or the dark. This war was about creating a world without its primordial order; it was a war to bring destruction, a war to end the reign of the Heavens.

His thoughts were shattered, when he entered the drawing room and found Daphne stretched out in the sofa, sipping on a glass of wine.

'Welcome back, my dear husband,' Daphne said languidly.

'What are you doing here?' Harry inquired sharply.

'Being a dutiful wife and welcoming my husband,' Daphne stated.

'I thought you found these kinds of things boring?' Harry said with a smirk.

'I'm Daphne Greengrass,' Daphne said loftily. 'I perfect every mantle I take. I was the perfect daughter, the perfect student and the perfect girl. Now I'm the perfect politician, the perfect mother, the perfect Director and the perfect woman. So, why should I not be the perfect wife?'

'Yes, you can,' Harry said with a chuckle.

Daphne always managed to make things interesting for him. If there was any normalcy in his life, then it was only with her. In her presence, he could be what he was, without hiding. It was like they were made for one another; two pieces of different puzzles, simply fitting together.

'Do you want some wine?' Daphne offered.

'No,' Harry declined. 'So, how was the Wizengamot this week?' Harry asked, taking a chair next to her.

'I'm here being the perfect wife, but you are not even trying to be a perfect husband,' Daphne commented tonelessly.

'So, what should I have said?' Harry questioned.

'You should ask about your family, about me- how I coped in your absence,' Daphne said the last part faking a distressed voice.

Harry grinned at her display. 'Then let me ask about the latest news in the family.'

'Lily is still angry at you for your absence in Ginevra's funeral. She thinks that you should at least forgive the dead. We even had a minor episode when she vented out her frustration.'

'What happened?'

'Nothing that would harm your position,' Daphne replied dismissing his query.

'I worry about her,' Harry said truthfully.

'You don't need to- you concentrate on your aims, I'll take care of everything else- that is our deal,' Daphne assured.

'I know,' Harry answered with certainty. 'What about James?'

'He is fine. He has no criticisms about your decisions. It is like you can do no wrong in his eyes,' Daphne said creasing her brows.

'Is that wrong?' Harry asked puzzled by her reaction.

'Just reminds me of a younger Draco,' Daphne said indifferently.

'That makes him pathetic,' Harry said with a scowl.

'Draco was never pathetic- just blind,' Daphne argued.

'I'm not anything like Lucius,' Harry said sounding offended.

'I never compared you to Lucius. I'm comparing James and younger Draco.'

Harry looked at her expressionless face and decided not to continue the argument; he was not going to win. 'So, any other things I need to know?'

'Albus came back,' Daphne said with a pleasant smile, something which was rarity on her face.

'I know,' Harry replied.

'Your information network is impeccable as always,' Daphne said sipping on her wine.

'I try to stay informed.'

'He still hates you,' Daphne said flatly.

'I know. But at least he has you now,' Harry said running his hands through his hair.

'Mother in everything- but blood,' Daphne mused staring at the crimson coloured liquid inside her glass.

Harry looked at Daphne, her face was calm and emotionless, but he knew she was not showing her sadness. Daphne could not conceive a child because of a curse she had received. She had never told him why she had been cursed or by whom, all she told him was it could not be reversed. When she had married him, she was more interested in providing love and affection for his children than him. His children too, had quickly warmed up to her, his lack of love and Ginny's absence helped her in that. But he was very thankful to her for taking the mantle of his children's mother and his wife; otherwise his plans would not have gone ahead.

'I hope your search is going well?' Harry asked changing the topic.

'I'm about to get my hands on the scepter, but the sorceress who was supposed to hold the book has been missing for nearly a decade,' Daphne answered.

'Maybe she hid the book somewhere?' Harry proposed.

'That is my conjecture- but I have no idea where.' Daphne had a thoughtful look on her face.

'I can ask my informer to find its whereabouts. He is surprisingly good with these things,' Harry offered.

'Can you?' Daphne said, her blue orbs shining in the dim light.

'Yes, I will ask him next time I meet him.'

'That takes something off my mind,' Daphne said, sounding relieved.

'Why is that book so important anyway?'

'That book is very important, Potter. The true power of the scepter can only be achieved with the book.'

He knew for a fact that all practitioners of the art of blood magic were looking for the _Scepter of Alrucus_ , even Daphne had told him the same thing before. But now she was telling him that the book was more important; it was all pretty confusing.

'If the book is everything then why are all the blood mages looking for the scepter?' Harry voiced his confusion.

'I had also thought the same thing- but recently I have discovered that the Book of Morana is not a book detailing different blood rituals.'

'What is it then?' Harry asked curiously.

'It is a weapon.'

'A weapon?'

'Yes,' Daphne replied. 'A weapon crafted by Morana herself, which brought death and frost to all living beings. That is why muggles called her the goddess of death.'

'Wasn't Morana a blood mage? How could she control frost?'

'That is a common misconception. Morana actually used blood to fuel her magic, which was controlling nature- but she specialized in ice,' Daphne explained.

'So, you need both the scepter and the book to gain her powers,' Harry finished.

'Yes.'

'Fascinating,' Harry said in wonderment. 'What are you going to do when you find both of these items?'

'Research,' Daphne replied simply.

'Most of the people would want to do something else with that kind of power,' Harry said skeptically.

'I'm not most people,' Daphne replied in a Daphnesque way.

'I have always admired this quality of yours,' Harry said in veneration.

Daphne cocked her eyebrows at him. 'What quality?'

'Your endless thirst for knowledge,' Harry answered.

Daphne smiled. 'Well, in that case.' She moved a little and placed both of her feet on his lap. 'Give me a foot massage.'

His hands held one of her foot, her skin was soft and smooth, and it felt like he was touching velvet. He began to move his fingers gently pressing the bottom of her foot.

'And how are things going for you?' Daphne asked.

'Everything is going as I planned. But it will take a few months for everything to be set into motion,' Harry replied.

'Yeah, right there,' Daphne moaned.

'You seem to be carrying a lot of stress lately,' Harry observed, as Daphne closed her eyes in pleasure.

'With you gone I've been the focal point of many things,' Daphne replied, her eyes still closed. 'Thank merlin, Albus came back, he really helps me cool down.'

'How is he doing?' Harry asked as he moved his hands to massage her calves.

'He has grown,' Daphne said with pride only a mother could produce. 'But there was something odd.'

'What?'

'Do you remember the ritual I did ten years ago?' Daphne asked opening her eyes and looking at him.

'Yes,' Harry replied.

He could never forget that day, Lily had nearly died, and if it had not been for Daphne, she would have. Daphne had done complex ritual to save her life, but it had required taking some life essence out of Albus and transferring it to Lily. Harry would have generally disapproved the use of such magic at that time, he was still but it was to save his daughter's life, something which meant more than some ideal. He had never told anyone about it, only he and Daphne knew about the ritual, and he wanted to keep it that way.

'Well, the side-effect has strengthened,' Daphne said.

'What side-effects?'

'Remember when I told you that sharing of life essence would form a deeper connection between the two- something like a bond.'

'Yes.' He nodded. 'I figured it when the wand she chose was the brother to Albus' wand.'

Harry still remembered the day when Lily had picked her wand. Unlike the way he had picked his wand, he had allowed his children to get custom made wands. He would take them to Ollivanders, where Ollivander would let them feel the different woods and cores, the cores and the wood which called to their magic the most were chosen. He had made his aspen basilisk fang wand the same way; though Ollivander had not been very pleased working with the wand core.

He remembered Lily's reaction when Ollivander's nephew had told her that she had chosen the core which was a brother to Albus' wand. Her happiness and excitement had known no bounds. Harry himself had been shocked along with others at that moment, but his reasons were totally different than theirs. First, he had never thought that the ritual Daphne had performed would connect Lily and Albus similar to him and Voldemort. The bond itself was not a worry, it was just surprising. The other thing that surprised him was how the old Ollivander had managed to take one more feather from his phoenix.

'Their bond seems to have strengthened more. Lily can now sense Albus.'

'How?'

'Basically, she knows whether he is fine or not. She can sense his presence, and if I'm not mistaken she can even find his location if she concentrates enough,' Daphne explained.

'Is that bad?' he asked concernedly. He had shared a similar type of a bond with Voldemort back in the day, and it had been a curse. He hoped that none of them had to go through pain similar to the one he used to get on his scar.

'I don't think it would be much of a problem,' Daphne said. 'But after I get hold of the sceptre I will fix that.'

'Then it's all right.'

He continued his ministrations on her foot and calves. He then grabbed the other foot and gave it the same treatment, as Daphne closed her eyes in rapture. He thought about Ron and what he would say if he saw him at the moment. The Gryffindor Golden Boy massaging the Slytherin Princess' feet. He would certainly loose it, like the way he had lost it when Harry married Daphne.

He chuckled, remembering Ron coming and getting upset about Harry not trying to get Ginny back, and suddenly announcing his marriage to Daphne Greengrass. Ron had then talked about how it would affect the children, why he had not remarried after Hermoine, how Harry still had a chance at redemption. Ron had always been naïve; he had never seen the bigger picture. He could never walk the path Harry was walking. Yes, he had fought with Harry in the war against Voldemort, but this war was not the same, it was beyond good and evil. He could not fight such a war. But most of all Harry would not allow it.

'What got you so thoughtful?' Daphne asked, her blue eyes staring at him.

'I was just thinking of how Ron would react if he saw me now,' Harry said with a grin.

'Weasley will do what Weasley does. But I always thought how Granger would react?' Daphne said thoughtfully. Harry frowned on hearing her mention Hermione, but he didn't say anything, and continued with his massage. 'Tell me Potter, do you miss her?' He remained silent. 'I know that you didn't go out of the country just to further your plans. I know you went to see her.' Harry didn't answer. 'Tell me Potter, why did you sacrifice everything for her?'

'Because she meant everything,' Harry finally said in a low voice.

'Did she mean more than your family?' Daphne asked. Her voice didn't sound angry but it was firm.

'She was all I had,' he replied releasing her foot from his grasp.

'I'm sure Granger wouldn't have wanted you to do the things you are doing.'

'She died because of me. And I have to atone for it,' Harry said resolutely.

'At what cost? You drove your wife to the arms of another man. Your children hate you. You have drifted apart from your friends. Is this what you really want?'

There was no force behind her voice. There was no anger, pity or even sympathy. It was as if she was a medium, and the questioner was Harry himself.

'I want a world where our choices are not based on the wills of a group of people. I want a world where the power is not in the hands of a chosen few. I want a world where there is no fear for power. I want a world without a god who makes the world run according to him. And if I have to sacrifice everything to get it- then I'll not hesitate to do so.'

'Isn't it hypocritical to say that after what you have done to your own family?'

'Ginny would have never been happy with this present situation. And the children are safer if they never know of this situation and continue to hate me.'

'But where is their choice in all of this. You forced Weasley to cheat on you by feeding her love potions keyed to another man. It was good that she found love in her new life- but where is her choice. As for the children you never allowed them to come closer, you simply drifted apart. You didn't let them choose, you chose for them.'

Again her words sounded strong, but there was not even a faintest of emotion in her voice. It was like he was still talking to himself.

'Do you think this would not have happened if I had let them choose? I only accelerated the rate of these things,' Harry said calmly.

'Do you actually believe that?'

'Yes. Even if they had chosen to stay with me I would have left them, giving them more misery. Ginny would have be miserable- at least she was happy till she died. The children would be miserable along with her. Now, they have you. By taking away a few choices I gave them a greater freedom.'

'How did you give them a greater freedom?'

'Ginny was free to find love and create her happy world. The children are free from the shackles of my love and my name. I'm sure none of them want to follow in my footsteps. This gives them freedom to create their own legacy. They no longer need to bother with me. To gain greater freedom some choices must be forced, Daphne. If everything were left to choice, then this world would be chaos.'

'And all this for the love of a woman,' Daphne said with a high laugh. 'Just like all the tragedies of the world.' Daphne then took her feet off his lap and suddenly stood up from the sofa. 'Am I just a replacement for Granger, Potter?'

'No.'

'Then what am I?'

'You are Daphne Greengrass- my wife, my other half, my accomplice.'

'An accomplice?' She arched her eyebrows at him.

'Yes. Only with your support I can achieve my true goals.'

'Your goals don't interest me Potter. I'm with you for my own selfish purpose. If that is helping your goals, consider it as a compliment,' Daphne said stretching her arms.

'This is the reason why I have faith in you. Your unmoving character makes you the most trustworthy person in my life. You're truly the perfect wife.'

'Flattery, Potter can lead you to many things,' she said slyly. She then snapped her fingers and all of her clothes shimmered down to the floor, treating his eyes to her naked body. She then gave him a sideward glance. 'Let me full this duty too, Potter. It's been a while since I've woken up in your bed.'

Harry stared at her bare body, his eyes drinking her flawless beauty. 'Who am I to stop you?'

Daphne smiled, it was wicked and enticing at the same time. She swayed her hips and began to walk towards the stairs. Harry stared at her moving form for a moment and then stood up from his seat. It was going to be a long sleepless night.

#

O'Brien impatiently paced up and down his suite. It was his last night before he returned back to New York, and the man Master Xavier had told him about had not come to meet him. He recalled that his name was Ivo, and he was one of the Pillars of Heaven. He wished that Master Xavier had given more information about this man; he would have gone to meet him personally, and get the required information.

His thoughts wandered to the _Scepter of Alrucus_ ; an item many were seeking. He had researched about the item when Master Xavier had told him to use it as a bargaining chip while dealing with Greengrass; he was astonished by the results. He had never known that such a power item existed in the world, and was thankful that the Pillars had hidden it away from the greedy, power hungry people.

He then began to wonder why someone like Greengrass would want such a powerful item. Was she planning to become the next Dark Lord? If that were true, then it would be harmful to even let her see the scepter. But Master Xavier had told him that Greengrass was not of any concern. He had never doubted the Master, but something told him that Greengrass was dangerous.

A light sound broke his thoughts. He quickly turned around, his wand ready in his hand.

'Who's there?' he called.

There was nothing.

'Come out before I curse,' O'Brien threatened.

There was no sound, nothing.

O'Brien thought that he had imagined it all. Maybe the impatience was getting to him. He shook his head and put his wand back inside the holster. Just as he was about to return back to his thoughts, a black cat came out through the small opening of the bathroom door. The cat in its slow and unenthusiastic fashion began to approach him. He quickly retrieved back his wand and shot a stunner at the cat. The cat with its quick reflexes easily side-stepped the stunner, making him realize, it was more than a normal cat.

'Isn't in uncouth to try and harm a domesticated animal?' a voice said from behind him.

O'Brien instantaneously turned around and was shocked to see a long blonde haired man, wearing a muggle suit, standing behind him.

'Franklin. What are you doing here?' O'Brien said with a gasp.

'Don't worry Mister O'Brien I'm not here to kill you,' Franklin said in his smooth voice. 'I come today as a messenger.'

O'Brien's nervousness died a little, but he continued to hold his wand with a firm grip. 'What- I mean- who sent you?'

'My Master,' Franklin said sitting on the edge of the bed.

'You have a Master?' O'Brien asked in surprise. He had always thought Franklin was a mercenary who went to the highest bidder.

'Just like you serve a Pillar of Heaven- I too serve one as well,' Franklin said stroking the cat, which had leapt onto his lap.

'You are Ivo's man,' O'Brien said in realization.

'Yes,' Franklin answered aimlessly.

'Why didn't he come himself?'

'The wheels of time are moving fast in wizarding Britain. He could not afford to waste his time by coming here,' Franklin replied in a low tonless voice.

O'Brien considered the responsibilities of the Pillars. They had to keep watch the functioning of the whole world, so it was understandable that a man of such great duties did not have time to meet him. But he could not help but feel a little insulted.

'That is all good- but I hope you have brought me the information I seek?' O'Brien inquired.

'My master says that the item which you seek lies inside the temple of Naktasha,' Franklin informed.

'I know that already,' O'Brien said impatiently. 'What I want to know is- who is the Priest of the Temple?'

'The temple of Naktasha is heavily guarded so you require the Priestess to enter its threshold,' Franklin continued without answering his question.

'And where is the Priestess?' O'Brien asked in frustration.

'The Priestess is somewhere in Venezuela,' Franklin answered.

O'Brien could not believe that he had to go to Venezuela to meet the Priestess. It was going to slow down his plans. He still had to produce the Scepter for Greengrass to make her go through with the plans. And from what he had heard about Venezuela, there was a civil war going on there, so there was a chance of him getting caught in the fighting.

'How do I contact the Priestess?' O'Brien asked, hoping to find an easier way.

'She cannot be contacted. Even my Master could not get hold of her,' Franklin reported. 'He says she does not want to be found.'

If things could only get any worse, thought O'Brien. Not only was he supposed to go to a war torn country, but he also had to find someone who didn't want to be found. It was simply the worst case scenario he could ask for.

'Then how do I find her?' O'Brien cried in an exasperated voice.

'The Master says you need to contact the Baron of Sangre to know about her whereabouts.'

The _Baron of Sangre,_ wasn't he some undead person? O'Brien thought vehemently. He was supposed to contact that person to get hold of the Priestess. The mission had suddenly turned from difficult to life threatening.

'I hope he at least gave a name of the Priestess,' O'Brien nearly pleaded.

'The Master says she goes by the name of Lady Vela now-a-days,' Franklin answered as the cat stretched and got down from his lap.

Lady Vela, the name didn't sound familiar. But none of the Pillars were reputed faces. They were people you would cross paths with and not notice them, let alone think that they controlled the world.

Franklin sat up from the bed and looked ready to leave, but stopped. He turned to O'Brien and said, 'I would like to give you a warning before I leave.'

'About what?'

'If you want to live- don't remove the Scepter from its resting place.'

'Why?' O'Brien asked, but Franklin had already disappeared and so had his cat.

 **A/N: I write stories for my own pleasure...and hopefully yours. The only way I can know if you enjoyed my work is through your feedback.**

 **P.S. English is not my first language, so please free to correct my errors.**

 **P.S.S And this is my first story in this site so please no flames.**


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